100 dead as fever grips five states, MP worst-affected

NEW DELHI: Nearly 100 people have died after suffering high fever across five states in north and eastern India over the past month, officials said on Wednesday, with Madhya Pradesh becoming the latest state to get afflicted with 3,000 cases and six suspected deaths. The first cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district in the second week of August and was described by local officials as “mystery fever” before the Uttar Pradesh government said it was dengue. Officials in various states attributed the fever to different diseases -- MP and Haryana said the cause was unclear, Bihar blamed pneumonia and West Bengal influenza.

Madhya Pradesh

As many as 3,000 cases have been reported in MP with six suspected deaths in the last 45 days. Of this, 1,400 cases were reported in the past two weeks.

Health officials said they suspected the entry of a new variant of dengue in the state. “We have sent samples to NIV, Pune as many people said they were tested negative with dengue-like symptoms”, one officer said.

Uttar Pradesh

In Firozabad, 61 people have died of dengue, including 50 children and 11 adults, said additional director (health), Dr AK Singh. Dr Sangeeta Aneja, principal of Firozabad Medical College, said 490 children were presently admitted because of dengue fever. In Mathura, 11 people have died of high fever since August, with 25 others admitted.

West Bengal

Around 1,200 children are

MADHYA PRADESH

cases of fever in last one-month-and-a-half

suspected deaths

WORST AFFECTED DIST

cases in Mandsaur

HARYANA

cases in Jabalpur

UTTAR PRADESH FIROZABAD children admitted with dengue; 61 dead, including 11 adults Agradengue, admitted with

no deaths MATHURA admitted with high fever; 11 dead, including 7 children

children dead due to fever

affected by fever and respiratory illness over the past five days while at least two have died in north Bengal, according to the state health department.

“In some samples we have detected Respiratory Syncytial virus (RS virus) and influenza-b virus. Covid has been detected in one case. There has been no specific outbreak,” said a senior official.

Bihar

14 children are suspected to have died of respiratory pneumonia at two hospitals in Patna so far this month as doctors said cases of

WEST BENGAL children affected with fever, respiratory illnesses; two dead

BIHAR children died due to respiratory pneumonia in 2 Patna hospitals this month

diagnosed with pneumonia, 21 admitted at NMCH

respiratory tract illness with high-grade fever in children had increased. Patna Medical College Hospital and Nalanda Medical College Hospital reported seven child deaths each due to pneumonia this month.

Haryana

Cases of children with fever have been reported from Chilli and Chilla village in Palwal district. The “mystery fever” was first noticed on September 9 and so far seven children , two of them below 5, have died but the cause of the fever is yet to be ascertained.