Malkangiri: There was no respite from the dreaded Japanese Encephalitis with two more children succumbing to the ailment at the district headquarters hospital here Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Priya Khara (2) of Tunibeda village under Nilakamberu panchayat and Korukonda block and Basanti Jani (2) of Kumutiguda Sahi in the town.
The fresh deaths have triggered panic among residents as the disease was found slowly making inroads into the district headquarters and affecting kids.
Out of 38 kids undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital, six have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after their condition deteriorated, hospital sources said.
The disease has so far claimed 98 lives over two months. While 295 children were admitted to the district headquarters hospital after they were diagnosed JE positive, 176 were discharged after treatment.
Meanwhile, a 12-member expert team having representations from various organisations visited Koimetla and Sangel villages under Kalimela block in the district and reviewed the alarming situations.
The team led by the joint director Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) visited these two villages and met the family members of the deceased kids while discussing with them on the issue.
They also met the family members of the recovered kids and enquired from them about the initial symptoms of the fever affecting the kids.
They also enquired about the measure taken by the district administration to combat the disease and the reasons behind the alarming spread of the disease.
When contacted, Pradhan denied having observed any disease control measures being undertaken in these two villages by the district administration.
The team comprised additional director Dr PK Sen of NVBDCP in New Delhi, microbiologist Dr Arun Kumar of Manipal University, scientist Dr JK Guruv of National Institute of Virology in Pune, scientist Dr Anna Kerkettta, Debabrata Bhattacharya of RMRC in Bhubaneswar, scientist Dr SS Sahu of VCRC, entomologist Dr Arun Kumar and insert collector Susant Parida among others.
Concerned over the JE menace, the Zilla Adivasi Samaj Mahasangh, a tribal outfit, has called for Malkangiri bandh November 8. Besides, the outfit’s members will also stage a sit-in outside the district collectorate the next day, said its president Ghanashyam Madkami at a press meet held here Sunday.
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