Diarrhoea Outbreak in Odisha: Death Toll Rises as Health Officials Respond

Health Crisis in Jajpur District

In Jajpur district, Odisha, the diarrhoea outbreak has claimed two more lives, raising the total fatalities to 13, as reported by health officials on Wednesday.

The recent deaths occurred in the Vyasanagar region of the district.

Khestra Mohan Kanda, the Additional Director of Health Services (Leprosy), stated that the patients were admitted to Vyasanagar hospital late Tuesday night in a critical state.

They were severely dehydrated upon arrival and unfortunately passed away within thirty minutes of being admitted, Kanda explained.

Bijay Mishra, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Jajpur, mentioned that 37 new diarrhoea cases were recorded in various hospitals on Wednesday.

Currently, 196 patients are receiving treatment across different healthcare facilities in Jajpur.

Mishra also noted that out of 49 samples sent for laboratory testing, 16 tested positive for cholera.

In response to the outbreak, a central team met with officials from the state health department, as well as the panchayati raj and drinking water departments on Wednesday.

The diarrhoea outbreak, which began on June 9 in Jajpur, has now extended to other districts such as Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, and Cuttack.

Officials have reported sporadic cases in additional districts as well.

With the disease spreading to five districts, the government has alerted all collectors to implement preventive measures.

Meanwhile, municipal authorities in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are actively inspecting food stalls and packaged water supply units to ensure quality control.