Odisha's Kandhamal District Faces Deadly Diarrhoea Outbreak

A diarrhoea outbreak in Odisha's Kandhamal district has resulted in five deaths and impacted 20 others over the last two weeks. Health officials identified the epicenter in Kanibali village, which then spread to six other villages. Health teams are on-site but face challenges due to difficult terrain.

A diarrhoea outbreak in a few villages in Odisha's Kandhamal district has claimed five lives and affected 20 others in the last two weeks, officials revealed on Wednesday. The outbreak is believed to have originated in Kanibali village on September 18, subsequently spreading to six other villages in the remote Durgapanga panchayat, Kotagarh block.

Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra suggested that a village feast could be the source of contamination. 'Health teams have been deployed to the area, and the situation is currently under control. We are closely monitoring the developments,' Mishra asserted.

Baliguda Sub-divisional Medical Officer Shravan Kumar Sahukar mentioned that the disease has reached Didili, Sakadi, Sindhibali, and other nearby villages, causing five known fatalities. Affected individuals have been hospitalized in Kotagarh and Baliguda in Kandhamal, as well as in Muniguda of Rayagada district.

Three health teams have been dispatched to contain the disease's spread, though access is hindered by the region's hilly terrain and lack of motorable roads. Despite the official death toll being five, villagers claim the disease has resulted in a dozen deaths recently.

(With inputs from agencies.)