Kalimela: A 16-year-old boy died while seven persons were affected by an unknown disease at MV-75 village in this block of Malkangiri district, a report said Sunday.
The villagers are in a state of panic as the disease has been spreading over the last few weeks. The deceased was identified as Sudipta Nandi, son of Shankar Nandi. Sudipta died last Monday.
Family members initially admitted him to the Kalimela health centre but had to shift him to the district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri after his condition showed no signs of improvement. However, it was too late and he was pronounced dead by doctors on arrival.
The affected persons were identified as Raju Mistri, Anjana Mandal, Debaraj Sikdar, Kabita Mandal, Malati Mandal, Usha Biswas and Anjali Biswas.
Their families, instead of giving them medical attention, are seeking the help of traditional healers. This has only aggravated the problem and led to the spread of the disease in the village.
A symptom of the disease is a burning sensation in different body parts. The reason behind the spread of the disease is yet to be established as no medical team has visited the village. The district administration too was unaware of the situation.
Some claim that the disease is spreading through mosquitoes while others said a particular virus is its carrier.
On being informed, Kalimela Zilla Parishad member Uttam Ray visited the village and met the bereaved family of Sudipta apart from enquiring about the health condition of the affected people. Villagers have urged the district administration to rush a medical team to the village at the earliest.
PNN