Panic in villages as mysterious disease claims two lives

Puri, Sep 11 (UNI) A team of doctors today rushed to Naruda and Uchhupur Gram Panchayat as a mysterious disease claimed two lives and hundreds of villagers were admitted to hospital in the last fortnight.

Sources said when attacked by this disease a patient first suffers from fever, followed by swelling of joints and headache. But the high fever does not respond to medicines.

Patients were rushed to Sakhigopal, Balanga and Bhubaneswar hospitals. Two elderly ladies Purnima Maharana (55) and Halumani Behera (60) of the village died of the disease.

Puri Chief District Medical Officer Trilochan Boral said a well equipped team of medicine specialists from the headquarters had gone to the villages to diagose and treat the patients.

He said the doctors suspect it as malaria but nothing conclusive could be said as the pathological test report was yet to be available with the team.

District Magistrate Rashmi Ranjan Pattnaik has assured financial assistance to the deceased's next kin.

UNI