Defence medical teams assisting Kerala authorities in tackling the viral epidemic in the state, have plunged into action in the worst affected districts even as fresh deaths from viral fever were being reported from different parts of the state.

Though the government had confirmed 38 deaths due to the epidemic, the local media put the death toll at more than 70.

The defence teams were engaged in helping state medical personnel in launching vector-control and sanitation measures.

More camps would be started in the worst-affected districts of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki on Monday, sources said.

Two teams from the Pangode Military Camp were stationed in Pathanamthitta district and Amboori village.

Each team comprises 25 members, including specialist doctors and personnel for managing fogging and spraying machines.

Two teams from the navy had been despatched to Kottayam and Idukki districts on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a high level official in the health department said cases of viral fever, including chikungunya, were coming down with only a few instances being reported from the districts now.

He said the suspected cases of chikungunya had come down from 400 to 200 a day, which showed the viral cases were decreasing.

The total number of suspected cases of chikungunya till Sunday was 7,128, he said and added 84 new cases were reported from the Pathanamthitta district on Sunday.

Thirty-three new cases were reported from Ernakulam, 25 from Kozhikode, 24 from Idukki, 18 from Thiruvananthapuram, four from Alappuzha and two from Kottayam.

As many as 13,880 cases of viral fever had been detected in the state till Sunday, the official said and added the largest number of new patients with viral fever were detected from Kottyam -- 5,770.

Ernakulam district reported 1,537 new cases, Pahanmthitta (1,677), Idukki (1,003), Thrissur (609), Alappuzha (725), Kollam (582) and Thiruvananthapuram (243).

The official said the fever was quite normal in the monsoon season and added more stress should be given to controlling chikungunya and dengue.

The state government had already announced a week's cleanliness drive in the state from Tuesday.