Diphtheria Toll Mounts To 6 In Odisha As Minor Boy Dies At Berhampur

Bhubaneswar: The death toll due to diphtheria rose to six in Odisha with a 10-year-old boy succumbing to the disease at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.

The deceased hailed from Kumbiraput village under Bandhugaon block in Koraput district, sources said on Thursday.
The boy was in a critical condition and he died while undergoing treatment, said Superintendent of MKCG Medical College and Hospital Suchitra Das.

Earlier, five persons had died due to the disease in the Kashipur area of Rayagada district.

Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra said that no new diphtheria case has been detected since Wednesday. All patients in Rayagada hospital have been discharged while four persons are undergoing treatment in Kalahandi hospital, he told media.

Stating that direction has been issued to strengthen surveillance, he said surveys are underway in surrounding villages near the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the state government on Wednesday launched a special vaccination drive in Rayagada district to contain the diphtheria outbreak, especially in the Kashipur area which witnessed the death of five children.

As the outbreak has spread to the neighbouring districts of Kalahandi and Koraput, the Health and Family Welfare department has asked the administration in these districts to take preventive measures to contain the disease from further spreading.

As per the measures, children under one year of age will be given the pentavalent vaccines while those aged between one and seven years will be administered single-dose diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus (DPT) vaccines. Besides, children above seven years will be administered tetanus and Diphtheria (TD) doses, sources said.