Unknown disease claims four in Banke

Janaki (Banke), Sept 2: Three people from same family and a child succumbed to an unknown disease at Gegli village at Narainapur rural municipality-3 in Banke district.     

According to Nagendra Kumar Shah, Chief of Narainapur rural municipality Health Section, the deceased have been identified as Shanti Pasi, 75, her daughter-in-law Usha Pasi, 26, and a minor from the same family.     

Elderly Shanti died on August 30, her daughter-in-law the next day and the minor on September 1, according to the Health Section.     

"Usha initially complained of headache, then stomach ache and had diarrohea" Shah said, quoting the victim family. "We can't claim that Usha had diarrohea because two to three bowel movements in a day cannot be considered as diarrhoea," he clarified.     

Usha's husband Chhote Lal Pasi reported that she was treated at a clinic after experiencing headache, stomach ache and fever for few days. Chhote Lal shared that his wife died during the treatment.     

Less than a day after Usha's demise, her close kin Shanti breathed her last under the same condition followed by her a year and half year old niece Nandani Pashi dying, said Chhote Lal.     

Likewise, a 12-year-old girl Sufiyana Ali Sheikh also succumbed to the similar kind of symptoms and illness, informed Shah, Chief of Health Section.     

According to him, all four who lost their lives to unidentified illness were treated at the same private clinic near Indian border.     

He admitted that they came to learn about this news only today. A team of healthcare providers prompted into immediate action by reaching out to the people in the village and treating the patients as soon as the Health Section was alerted about the prevalence of such mysterious disease.     

Narainapur-3 ward Chairperson Ajay Mishra said altogether 40 people were examined so far. Among them, the condition of seven seriously ill due to the unidentified disease was improving.     

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer of Banke, Khagendra Prasad Rijal, Superintendent of Police Tul Bahadur Karki and SP of Armed Police Force Bimal Dangi among others reached Gegli village to take stock of the incident.     

CDO Rijal, during the inspection, instructed the Healthcare Facility in the village to address any potential shortage of medicines.     

The cause of illness remains under investigation and the healthcare providers and concerned authority are working to contain the outbreak and spread of this mysterious disease.(RSS)