Bhubaneswar: The death toll in the diarrhoea outbreak in Odisha’s Jajpur district rose to two on Wednesday, with officials confirming the death of another person.
Over 250 people have been affected by the waterborne disease since Tuesday.
District collector P Anvesha Reddy said that a 70-year-old man was declared dead on arrival at the Vyasanagar Hospital, while a 34-year-old at Danagadi Community Health Centre succumbed to the illness Tuesday.
Official reports said the disease was first reported from the Dharmasala area Tuesday, and then several patients were admitted to different hospitals in the district. People from Dharamshala, Jajpur Road, Danagadi, and other places also complained of suffering from diarrhoea.
Out of the affected persons, 40-50 have recovered and returned home after treatment, the Director of Public Health, Nilakantha Mishra, said.
Some patients are critical due to acute diarrhoea. More than 20 critically ill patients have been referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, he said.
When asked about deaths, he said, “Two people have allegedly died due to diarrhoea. However, the exact cause of their deaths is being investigated.
It is suspected that the outbreak occurred due to food poisoning as people fell ill after having food during a feast, Mishra said.
The director also said two state-level health teams have been sent to the district.
The Jajpur Medical College staff and doctors have been deployed to treat the patients, while adequate medicines have also been kept ready.
Arrangements will be made if additional doctors or nursing staff are required, he added.
Mishra further said that he will also visit the district with another health team to monitor the situation.
PTI
