ANGUL: The district has been placed on high alert following the death of a child due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE). The child was one of the two suspected cases.
About a week ago, two girls, aged six and nine from the Banarpal and Kosala areas, developed high fever and other complications. They were admitted to the Angul district headquarters hospital, where they received treatment. As their fever persisted, blood samples were sent to SCB Medical College in Cuttack for testing. One of the two children succumbed to the illness, while the other was discharged after recovering.
Dr Sadananda Mohanty, the chief district medical officer (CDMO) of Angul, confirmed the presence of the JE virus in the blood samples of the affected children. Following the confirmation, the Health department dispatched the expert team to Angul to assess the situation. The team moved around Banarpal and Kosala from June 19 and examined environmental conditions. Despite the detection of the virus, no environmental factors contributing to the outbreak were found.
A high-level medical team, comprising three experts, rushed to the district and conducted a thorough inspection of the affected areas over three days, concluding their visit last Friday. Although no clear cause for the viral outbreak was identified, the district health department remains vigilant.
Local residents have been advised to avoid contact with mosquitoes, pigs, and other animals to prevent further spread of the virus, Dr Mohanty said, adding, that despite the absence of environmental evidence for the outbreak, district health officials are implementing various measures in the affected areas to contain the disease and prevent its spread.