BHUBANESWAR: Even as the death toll surged to 11, the Odisha government on Friday confirmed the presence of cholera-causing bacteria in samples collected from the affected areas of Jajpur district. Adding to the government’s headache, two more districts also reported the outbreak on the day.
Official sources said, of the 41 faecal samples sent to the laboratory for testing, eight tested positive for Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for cholera. So far, over 700 others have been taken ill across four blocks and one urban local body in the district.
The official death toll, however, is five. “We are verifying the details of other deaths,” director of public health Dr Nilakantha Mishra said.
Health officials have intensified surveillance, water quality monitoring, and awareness campaigns in the affected regions, including Dharmasala, Danagadi, Korei, and Rasulpur blocks and Vyasanagar municipality to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Two more districts - Bhadrak and Keonjhar - also came under the grip with several people from Bhandaripokhari and Anandpur blocks getting admitted in the hospitals following diarrhoea.
“We have received reports of people with diarrhoea in several places in Jajpur district, and small pockets in Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts. Health teams have been sent to affected areas to take stock of the situation. We are taking every possible measure to avoid further cases,” said Dr Mishra.
The state has been consistently reporting cases of cholera in last few decades, particularly affecting the lower socio-economic groups in districts like Rayagada, Koraput, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Sundargarh.
In 2023, at least 13 people died and over 1,000 were affected in Rourkela while eight persons died and 104 others were hospitalised in Rayagada district in 2022. Poor access to clean drinking water, lack of sanitation, and delayed medical attention were cited as major factors contributing to the severity of the outbreak.
On the day, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting attended by Health secretary Aswathy S and senior officials from the Health and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water departments.
The Health department has appealed to people to consume boiled or chlorinated water and avoid open defecation.
Ahuja directed the officials to conduct door-to-door visits and intensify awareness activities in the villages to prevent the spread of the disease and complete the disinfection work in 10 days. Affected districts have been asked to provide proper treatment facilities besides ensuring availability of drugs, saline and other essentials in hospitals.