Six children die, 101 fall ill in Balaghat villages as health teams investigate mysterious outbreak
Balaghat: Authorities are investigating into the cause of the outbreak at least four villages in the Madhya Pradesh’s Baiga community-dominated Balaghat district where at least six children have died and 101 others have become sick over the last month.
Children aged from one to 13 at Adori, Kundeksa, Bondari and Korka villages have been reported to have been suffering from symptoms such as fever, rashes, red spots, stomach pain and ulcers, all since July.
Though the cause of the deaths has not been given yet, Balaghat Chief Medical & Health Officer (CMHO) Paresh Upalap said they seemed to be linked to multiple infections.
Blood samples have been submitted to the ICMR-National Institute of Research in Bacterial Infections, Kolkata, and the ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune for detailed tests.
47 Children Hospitalised
The officials have reported that 47 children are being admitted to hospitals and an additional 54 children are being treated at their home. A temporary health camp has been setup in the affected villages by district administration to treat the affected people and keep watch on the situation.
A team of researchers from the Medical College in Jabalpur is also conducting investigation in the outbreak under the leadership of Dr Ravindra Vishnoi, Epidemiology.
Villagers Raise Questions
While deaths could not be prevented in some cases, those who became sick first turned to traditional healing methods before obtaining medical care, officials said.
But villagers have also blamed the health department for failing to act when children started to succumb to their illness for weeks.
Some have been diagnosed with acute nutritional deficits in their children, which is yet another worry for health practitioners. The treatment is being supervised by experts and the children are being closely watched.
A report of the situation was sent to the Madhya Pradesh Health Department in Bhopal and awaiting the lab results for the exact cause of the diseases and fatalities.