India: 5 children dead from mysterious disease in Jharkhand village

Five children have died of a mysterious disease in a Jharkhand village. The village is in Sahibganj district and has been gripped by the disease for over a week. Twenty-two people reported malaria-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and yellowing of the eyes, including the deceased children. A medical team has reached the village and set up a health check-up camp, collecting blood samples and sending them to Dhanbad for examination. Health officials hope to identify the disease and the cause of the children’s deaths. Meanwhile, the medical team on the ground is giving tablets to cure colds, coughs, and fevers and ORS packets to infected villagers. Village head Maisa Pahadia said his community has never experienced such an outbreak.
According to Civil Surgeon Dr Praveen Kumar Santhalia, the first tests on the collected samples indicate malaria as the main cause of the outbreak. The samples have been sent to the lab for further analysis. Dr Praveen confirmed the establishment of medical facilities on the ground to provide treatment and support to the villagers. The issue was discussed in the Jharkhand Assembly on March 25.