Japanese Encephalitis Fear Looms Over Malkangiri After 6 Infant Deaths

Malkangiri: Anxiety has gripped the villagers of Tamanapalli in Malkangiri following the death of six infants during the last fortnight, some media reports have claimed.

While the cause of the deaths was attributed to some unknown disease, some reports feared that the small hamlet has been hit by Japanese encephalitis. The district had experienced the severe outbreak of the dreaded disease in November 2016, which claimed lives of over 100 children.

Malkangiri Chief District Medical Officer Dr Ajay Kumar Baitharu, however, rubbished speculation surrounding the deaths.

Talking to media, he said the deaths have occurred over a period of five months and not in the last 15 days. He attributed it to multiple factors, including malnutrition among mothers and bronchial pneumonia. Two of the infants, he added, were also suffering from low birth weight. Such children are susceptible to infections, he added.

Dr Baithura said he would visit the village with a team of doctors to collect samples. Most of the little ones, he said, reported high fever, vomiting, cough and cold.

Seven infants are believed to be undergoing treatment at different hospitals, even as a team of doctor from Kalimela hospital reached the village.

Pneumonia and encephalitis cases have been a major cause of concern in Odisha. In 2017, the State Health Directorate had released a report which said that 337 people had succumbed to encephalitis in the previous year. The report had said that in 2016, 322 pneumonia-related deaths were also reported.

While Malkangiri district reported high infant deaths during the year due to encephalitis, the disease continued to haunt the State in 2017 as well, with 510 encephalitis cases reported during the first half of the year.