India - Mystery disease kills 3, infects 50 in Uttarkashi - August 20, 2016 - False Report

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Mystery disease kills 3, infects 50 in Uttarkashi, says DG; alert sounded

Shivani Azad| TNN | Aug 20, 2016, 10.23 PM IST
DEHRADUN: Over 50 people in a village in Mori, Uttarkashi have been infected by a "mysterious" disease, as per the state director general of health. Three children have already died due to the disease, triggering alarm across the department. A team of experts, doctors and paramedical staff has already been sent to the location, though blocked roads and landslides are obstructing their path. "We are unable to understand the actual cause of the disease. It has remained a mystery so far," said the DG.

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"The disease is directly affecting the kidney of the patient,

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Map of area from google maps.

[alert]

False report:

Published Date: 2016-08-24 06:35:50
Subject: PRO/SOAS> Undiagnosed illness - India (03): (Uttarakhand) false alarm
Archive Number: 20160824.4433416
UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS - INDIA (03): (UTTARAKHAND) FALSE ALARM
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Sun 21 Aug 2016, 10.11 PM IST
Source: The Times of India (TOI), Times News Network (TNN) [edited]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/Medical-team-finds-no-trace-of-mysterious-disease-in-Uttarkashi-village/articleshow/53799996.cms

The team of health experts who visited Levadi village in Mori block [district Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand] after reports of 50 residents being infected with 'mysterious' disease has said that the villagers' claim of mystery disease killing 3 girls was false.

Following the report from Levadi village of Mori block in Uttarkashi this week [15-21 Aug 2016], director general [DG]-health Dr SC Pant had told TOI [Times Of India], "According to the preliminary report, patients are complaining about throat pain followed by itching and irritation in eyes. Our team is waging a war with both shoddy infrastructure and weather to reach out to the spot; we are hoping they will troubleshoot the problem."

Uttarkashi chief medical officer BS Rawat said, "The team of doctors has returned from Levadi village where they did not find anyone affected with any 'mysterious' disease. All the villagers including children and teenage girls have been found in normal healthy conditions. No one was infected with swollen throats coupled with irritation and itching in eyes as was reportedly the case with the 2 girls who died."

"The medical team has found no presence of any 'mysterious' disease in the village. The team has confirmed the death of 2 girls in the village. However, we have found no alarming factors behind their deaths. It appears that the villagers have blown the issue out of proportion. However, as a precaution we have also stationed a team of experts near the village," the DG health said on [Sun 21 Aug 2016].

"Two girls from the village have indeed died, but not from any disease. We suspect it might be a case of food poisoning. One of the girls who died in a Dehradun hospital was suffering for over a month. Her family was treating her with home remedies instead of admitting her in a hospital. As a result, her health worsened and she died from multiple organ failure in a short span of time. Same was the case with her friend who also died on her way to Dehradun," Rawat said.

The district administration has also stationed an ambulance in the village.

[Byline: Seema Sharma]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-SoAs


[ProMED-SoAs earlier reported about [Undiagnosed illness - India (02): (Uttarakhand) fatal, RFI 20160822.4431151] but as per latest media report, the team of health experts who visited Levadi village in Mori block [district Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand] after reports of 50 residents being infected with a 'mysterious' disease, has said that the villagers' claim of a mystery disease killing 3 girls was false.

The following additional information was shared by an Epicore member to the RFI;
"The team of doctors has returned from Levadi village where they did not find anyone with any mysterious disease. All the villagers including children and teenage girls have been found in normal healthy conditions. No one was infected with swollen throats coupled with irritation and itching in eyes. The 2 girls from the village indeed died, but not from any disease'. Promed SoAs is thankful for the RFI response.