Jajpur: An outbreak of diarrhoea has assumed serious proportions in various parts of Jajpur district with two persons dead and over 400 affected due to this deadly disease in the last two days. The affected persons have been admitted to Dharmasala Community Health Centre (CHC), Jajpur Road CHC, Danagadi CHC, Korei CHC, District Headquarters Hospital and Madhuban CHC.

Official sources said the waterborne disease was first reported from Dharmasala on Tuesday. As many as 100 people from Baulamal, Matia, Raghunathpur, Jaraka, Ragadipasi, Gadamadhupur, Pakhara and Chadhheidhara villages complained of diarrhoea symptoms and were rushed to Dharmasala for treatment on Monday night. Patients were seen lying on the floor of the hospital due to unavailability of the beds. Fifty more people affected by diarrhoea were admitted to Dharmasala CHC on Wednesday. Later, another report from Jajpur Road CHC said 60 people were taken ill since late Monday night following an outbreak of diarrhoea. Thirty more people from Jajpur Road affected by diarrhoea were admitted to the government health facilities on Tuesday night. Later, reports of diarrhoea outbreak were received from Danagadi, Korei and Daarathapur areas. In Danagadi, while 40 people have been affected by the water-borne disease, one death was also reported. The deceased has been identified as Sanat Patra (34), a resident of Mayurbhanj. Patra was working as a contract worker at a plant in Kalinga Nagar and was staying in Danagadi. Another death was reported from Jajpur Road. The deceased has been identified as Tularam Sharma (65) from Vyasa Nagar.

Besides, over 100 people affected by diarrhoea have been admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in the last two days. Jajpur CDMO Prakash Chandra Bal, who toured all the affected areas to take stock of the situation, has confirmed the deaths due to diarrhoea. Most of the patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment. “Out of 400 affected persons who had been admitted at various hospitals, around 250 persons have been discharged after treatment. The remaining patients are undergoing treatment and recovering. They are under constant medical supervision and I am hopeful they will be discharged very soon,” said the CDMO. Besides, around 20 seriously affected persons have been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition deteriorated, he said. “The reasons for the diarrhoea outbreak are threefold. One is consumption of contaminated water, second is taking meals in a mass feast and third consumption of rotten and ripe mangoes indiscriminately in this season,” said the CDMO. The CDMO said four teams of doctors, two each from Jajatati Keshari Medical College and District Headquarters hospitals, have been deployed in Dharmasala and Korei hospitals. Besides, RWSS authorities have been deployed in the affected areas to disinfect the water bodies, Bal also said a multidisciplinary team has been deployed to the affected areas to assess and contain the outbreak. The team includes doctors, microbiologists and food safety officials. “In response to the health emergency, additional medical teams and supplies are coming to our district. An expert team from SCB Medical College is also arriving to support the on-ground efforts,” the CDMO added.