Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: Two state ministers, including health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Saturday visited the areas in Malkangiri district that have been affected by a mystery disease that has claimed the lives of 14 children under the age of five years to take stock of the situation.
“I met family members of the victims and have promised that the government will provide all assistance to root out the disease from the area,” said the health minister, who was also accompanied by health & family welfare commissioner-cum-secretary Arati Ahuja and other health officials, on his return Sunday.
The chief district medical officer concerned has been asked to ensure that all facilities are provided to the research team that has arrived to trace the virus that has caused these deaths in a few villages in the tribal-dominated district, sources said.
Earlier, the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) director Shantanu Kar had told Orissa Post that their team would intensify research till they ascertain the cause of the disease and will send the blood samples again to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
“The team of doctor has been asked to keep an eye on the situation,” Nayak said.
The disease continues to baffle scientists and health workers. RMRC conducted various tests to check for indications of Japanese encephalitis, dengue, herpes simplex and other deadly viruses. However, it could not find any such indication. The state health department had also collected blood and spinal fluid samples and sent them to the Pune institute for investigation of the source of the disease but all tests done by the apex laboratory were found to be negative.
A similar situation had occurred in Malkangiri in 2012 and in Keonjhar in 2013, according to sources. The outbreak of the disease in Malkangiri in 2012 was proven to be Japanese encephalitis while the source of the disease in Keonjhar has remained unidentified.