Central team to take stock of gastro spread in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: Amid a worsening diarrhoea outbreak in at least three districts in the state, a central team of health experts arrived here on Saturday to support the containment efforts.
The outbreak that was first reported in Jajpur district five days back has been traced to the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. So far at least 15 persons, including 11 from Jajpur, three from Keonjhar and one from Bhadrak, have died in separate outbreaks. Three more samples tested positive for Vibrio cholerae, taking the total number of cases to 11. The official death toll, however, has been pegged at five.
The state government confirmed that 1,516 people in Jajpur district alone have been affected in the outbreak with 88 new cases. While 1,306 among them have recovered, 210 are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
The 14-member central team, including four special food quality officials of Food Safety and Quality Authority of India (FSSAI), will visit the affected areas in separate groups on Sunday. One group led by regional director of Health and Family Welfare Dr Nilam Somalkar and accompanied by epidemiologist of Kolkata-based National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (NIRBI) Dr Pramit Ghosh will take stock of the situation in the worst-hit Dharmasala in Jajpur district.
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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Central team visits Odisha as 14 deaths reported in cholera outbreak
Bhubaneswar: A central team from Delhi, comprising officials from Indian Council of Medical Research, National Centre for Disease Control, World Health Organisation, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Sunday visited Jajpur district of Odisha as 14 deaths were reported and 1,500 people were hospitalised following a cholera outbreak. Four blocks and one urban local body in Jajpur district have been hit most by the outbreak which started from a community feast in the town attended by over 2,500 people. 'Out of the 41 faecal samples sent to the laboratory from Jajpur district, eight tested positive for Vibrio cholerae. However, the number of affected persons is being slowly decreasing,' said Nilakantha Mishra, director of Odisha's public health. Officials said most of the affected are showing acute diarrhoeal disorders with many of them showing dehydration tendencies. The worst-affected areas in Jajpur include Danagadi, Korei, Rasulpur and Dharmasala blocks, with many requiring advanced care at facilities like SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. State health minister Mukesh Mahaling said those in hospitals are doing fine. 'We have deployed an additional health team from SCB Medical College and Hospital to support the efforts here. We're taking every measure to prevent further outbreaks. I appeal people to seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as loose motion, vomiting, or abdominal pain, rather than consulting local quacks or medicine stores. Cholera outbreak is a major concern, and we need to take collective efforts to prevent its spread,' he said. Meanwhile, leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the state government must act vigilantly without pushing people's lives into further danger and take immediate strong measures to curb the spread of cholera. 'What had not been seen for many years has now disrupted public life in various districts. While cholera is spreading in Odisha, the state government's casual approach to it is shocking and disturbing to everyone,' he wrote on X. Odisha last saw a cholera outbreak in December 2023 in Rourkela town where 11 people died and more than 1,800 were hospitalised. Similarly, in Rayagada district, an outbreak was reported between July and November 2022, with 10 deaths and 414 cases. Cholera has consistently made its presence known in Odisha over the past two and a half decades, this persistent occurrence marks it as a significant public health issue, particularly affecting the lower socio-economic groups in the southern regions of Odisha. Between 2011 and 2020, Odisha had 19 outbreaks of cholera. Districts such as Rayagada, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Nuapada are particularly susceptible, making cholera a prominent and pressing concern for public health authorities in the region. As a significant proportion of the human population in these cholera-prone areas relies on untreated water from environmental reservoirs, such as ponds, rivers, wells, nullahs, and ditches, for drinking, bathing, cooking, and agricultural activities, the widespread practice of using contaminated water sources serves as a major cause for the transmission of cholera infection. Despite efforts to raise awareness and education regarding the importance of safe water practices and the prevention of diarrheal diseases, cholera outbreaks continue to occur in Odisha.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Cholera cases detected in Odisha's Jajpur, diarrhoea toll rises to 5
Bhubaneswar: With the death toll due to diarrhoea rising to five on Saturday and 1,500 others being infected with the water-borne disease in Odisha's Jajpur, the Centre rushed three separate expert teams to study the ground situation in the district where some cases of cholera have also been detected, officials said. The Jajpur district administration has cancelled Raja festival holidays for government officials and also banned community feasts on the occasion as the disease spread to fresh areas. "In view of the diarrhoea outbreak in different parts of the district, the holidays from June 14 to 16 are hereby cancelled. All offices in Jajpur district will remain open as usual and the services of employees will be utilised in case of exigency," the order issued by the district collector said. Though the rate of people getting admitted to hospitals in diarrhoea-related cases declined on Saturday, the state government was worried over the detection of cholera cases, another senior official said. "Of the 200 samples collected, eleven have tested positive for vibrio cholerae . However, there has been no large-scale spread of cholera and the cases have not been reported from any particular cluster," Director of Public Health, Dr Nilakantha Mishra, told reporters, adding that the central government sent three teams comprising 14 experts to assess the ground situation in the district. An official release said that in order to make the field work more targeted, three teams have been sent by the central government. On the instructions of the Director General of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a seven-member health team and a three-member food safety team have been sent to Odisha. Similarly, a four-member special food quality team has been sent by the Food Safety and Quality Authority of India (FSSAI). There are a total of 14 people in these three teams, the official release said. "These teams will visit the affected areas to assess the public health situation and provide necessary advice to the field officers, state and central governments on the causes and prevention of the disease," Dr Mishra said. Claiming that the situation has improved as compared to Friday, Dr Mishra said that a total of 1,516 people suffering from diarrhoea were admitted to various hospitals in Jajpur district since May 9. Of them, 1,306 have recovered and 210 are undergoing treatment. Doctors are hopeful that they will recover soon, he said. Meanwhile, the NRHM Director Dr Brunda D and Special Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, Bijay Mohapatra, visited some of the affected areas and reviewed the situation. Jajpur Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Bijay Mishra said that the disease spread due to consumption of contaminated water in some community feats. "Our health workers have been disinfecting different water sources while food safety officers are collecting samples of water, street foods and even tube well water for examination. We suspect that the disease spread due to contaminated water and high humidity in the area," he said. Additional Chief District Medical Officer (ACDMO) Prakash Chandra Bal said the diarrhoea toll rose to five with one more fatality reported on Friday. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has directed the health administrations of neighbouring districts to remain alert regarding the spread of the waterborne disease. He directed health authorities to step up measures to prevent and control the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, jaundice, malaria, and dengue after the onset of monsoon. Ahuja also directed officials to complete sanitation work within ten days and make all programmes for prevention, control, and management of water and vector-borne diseases more proactive and targeted. He also suggested the district administration conduct household surveys to detect diseases, besides increasing beds in government hospitals, ensuring proper treatment and providing necessary medicines and saline. The chief secretary also directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to use mobile health units to make people aware of the water-borne diseases . PTI
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Free medical camp concludes in Nellore, 883 patients tested
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