Unknown Fever Kills 7 In Uttarakhand's Almora, Health Department Monitors Situation

Almora: An unknown fever outbreak has claimed at least seven lives in Uttarakhand's Almora district in the last few days, triggering concern among both locals and the state health department.

According to officials, elderly and middle-aged individuals of Dhauladevi and Chaukhutia areas of the district have been affected the most.

The deceased have been identified as Ganga Dutt Joshi (62) of Gangolihat, Harish Chandra Joshi (60), Madan Ram (72), ASHA worker Hansi Bhatt of Jageshwar, Daya Shankar Pandey (45), Govind Singh Bajela (45), and Chandra Devi (70). Another individual, Kailash Chandra, 35, a resident of Chaukhutia, also died under suspicious circumstances, an official said.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Naveen Chandra Tiwari said three fatalities were due to viral infections and four others, who were elderly, are suspected to have had heart ailments. However, the exact cause of the deaths could not be ascertained, he said.

Tiwari said 16 teams of the health department have been deployed in the district. These teams are conducting a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness against the unknown fever and advise residents to seek doctor's consultation if they notice any unusual symptoms. The health department teams are collecting water samples and conducting blood tests. Additionally, health camps have been set up in the affected areas to ensure people receive timely treatment, he said.

The CMO further said that samples were collected from 11 other people who complained of high fever. Seven reports have arrived, where four are tested positive for typhoid. Screening tests were conducted on three persons, where one is detected with scrub typhus, another with leptospirosis and third Lyme disease. Confirmation reports and reports of four blood samples are still pending.

Tiwari clarified that coliform bacteria was found in the water samples and the water supply department has been asked to add disinfectants to the water tanks of the areas. Villagers have been asked to drink water from natural sources after boiling it, he added.

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