Severe outbreak of diarrhoea claims seven lives in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district

Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district is grappling with a severe outbreak of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases, as a total of seven lives have been claimed and over 150 people have fallen ill in the last ten days due to persistent illness. Officials on Saturday said the deaths, which include five women and a child, were mostly caused by food and water contamination in the region.

District Epidemic Control Officer Dr. Yatindra Jharia stated that the deceased include four from Devraha Bahmani village of Ghughri block, three from Madhopur village under Bichhia block, and another resident of Madhopur village died during treatment at the district hospital on Friday.

Further, the authorities also informed that about 150 people from the region reported falling sick due to diarrhoea and water-borne diseases in the two blocks. "Some patients from the Ghughri block have been referred to the district hospital for treatment," said Dr. Jharia, adding that health teams are trying to bring diarrhoea under control in these areas and spreading awareness.

Significantly, the authorities also informed that, three men, including a father-son duo, died due to diarrhoea and six others contracted the disease in two villages of Umaria district. Officials said the area health supervisor was suspended after the cases came to light, while two other officials were served show-cause notices. It is pertinent to note that, a significant proportion of diarrhoeal disease can be prevented through safe drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene.

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that, in April, the state's Burhanpur district also reported a severe outbreak of diarrhoea, with five wards in the town affected by the relentless spread of the illness. Over 100 people were admitted to the District Hospital after complaining of diarrhoea.

(With inputs from PTI)