'Mystery fever' claims 10 lives in Uttarakhand
What's the story
A mysterious fever has claimed the lives of 10 people in Uttarakhand's Almora and Haridwar districts over the past fortnight. Seven deaths were reported from the Dhauladevi block of Almora district alone, while three others were recorded from Roorkee in Haridwar, according to a report by the Times of India. The victims have shown symptoms such as high fever and low platelet count, raising concerns of viral infections like dengue.
Ongoing investigation
Cause of deaths being investigated
Health officials are investigating the cause of these deaths, with samples from the affected areas sent to Almora Medical College for testing. Chief Medical Officer Dr Naveen Chandra Tiwari told ToI, "The exact cause of infection will be known once reports are received." He also noted that not all deaths may be due to a single infectious agent, adding that some could be age-related health complications.
Public concern
Locals question investigation process
Locals have expressed concerns over the investigation process, with some questioning why postmortems were not conducted on the deceased. Dinesh Bhatt, a Dhauladevi resident, asked, "Seven persons have died, yet no postmortems were conducted. Without that, how can we know the real cause?" In response to this health crisis, Secretary of Health R Rajesh Kumar said that health teams have been deployed in the affected areas, with intensive monitoring and scientific evaluation of the deaths underway in Dhauladevi.
Outbreak denial
Health officials downplay outbreak fears
According to Money Control, state health officials have sought to downplay fears of a major outbreak, with one official denying any "mystery fever or dengue outbreak." They have described the situation as a "seasonal viral fever," adding that cases are likely to decrease with winter's arrival. However, a definitive cause remains unknown pending laboratory results.