ROURKELA/JHARSUGUDA: At least four persons died and over 50 others have taken ill after partaking in a post-death ritual feast at Nuadihi village under Hemgir police limits of Sundargarh district, which was held on Thursday.
While food poisoning is suspected to be the primary cause of the mass illness, a cholera outbreak has not been ruled out as the host of the feast had reportedly been suffering from a diarrhoeal infection prior to the incident. Stool samples of the affected villagers are being collected to ascertain the exact cause of the disease.
While two of the deceased belonged to Nuadihi village, two others were from Sunakhaen village under Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district. Four persons from Sunakhaen have also been admitted to the hospital with symptoms of severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
Sundargarh district health officials said a woman, Raibari Pradhan (50), was admitted to Hemgir community health centre (CHC) on Saturday evening and died within an hour. Another villager, Mangal Singh Naik (50), died during treatment at VIMSAR, Burla on Sunday morning.
The victims from Sunakhaen village have been identified as Ullas Khadia (41) and Sukanti Khadia (65). Jharsuguda chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Shashi Shekhar Seth said four critically ill patients, including Ullas and Sukanti Khadia, were admitted to the DHH around midnight on Saturday. As Ullas’ condition deteriorated, he was shifted to VIMSAR, Burla, where he succumbed during treatment. Sukanti died at the DHH at around 5.30 am on Sunday.
Sources said Dilip Naik (22), who hosted the feast on Thursday, had visited several nearby areas, including three bordering villages in Chhattisgarh, over the previous few days to distribute invitation cards. He developed symptoms of diarrhoea on Wednesday but continued with the preparations due to lack of support.
He also reportedly took an active part in the feast arrangements. One villager complained of diarrhoeal illness on Friday after attending the feast, following which more villagers began reporting similar symptoms.
Hemgir CHC superintendent Dr Shakti Prasad Nath said at least 50 villagers from Nuadihi had been treated for diarrhoea over the past three days. Seven patients are currently undergoing treatment at the CHC and are in stable condition, he said.
Meanwhile, a health team has been camping in Nuadihi village since Saturday. A district health team, including Sundargarh district public health officer (DPHO) and additional public health officer (disease control), visited the village on Sunday to review disease-control measures.
A member of the team said Naik recovered after taking medicines and initially none of his family members showed symptoms. However, one member of his family reportedly fell ill on Sunday. The officer said it is possible that Naik, if carrying cholera bacteria, may not have maintained proper hand hygiene, leading to contamination of the food and triggering the outbreak. Investigation into that angle is also underway.
Health officials have also intensified monitoring in Sunakhaen village and are keeping a close watch on the situation to prevent further spread of the illness. Medical teams continue to provide treatment and conduct field surveillance in the affected area, the Jharsuguda CDMO added.