‘Malaria caused 39 deaths in Badaun, Bareilly’

LUCKNOW : Malaria caused 39 deaths in Badaun and Bareilly, a preliminary probe report suggested on Friday. The deaths occurred over a couple of weeks and were initially being attributed to a mysterious fever.

Dr Mithlesh Chaturvedi, director (infectious diseases) in the health directorate said, “We have registered 39 deaths till now (Badaun 30 and Bareilly 9). The teams that went there have tested 125 positive samples for malaria among those who were having fever, which indicates the deaths might have been due to it.” Although residents said there were over 100 deaths, the health department registered 39 fatalities.

Former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Lucknow Dr PK Gupta said cerebral malaria could be fatal if it was not diagnosed and treated in time.

“Both vivax and falciparum (two parasites causing malaria), can create trouble. Falciparum malaria is very dangerous, it causes cerebral malaria,” said prof AA Mahdi, vice chancellor of Era University.

The teams made 80 blood sample slides in Badaun and 45 in Bareilly from where the maximum fever cases were reported. Apart from this, 402 more blood samples were collected from those afflicted with high fever in Badaun and about 200 in Bareilly. These samples will be tested at a government lab in Lucknow.

“Also 25 serum samples of those suffering from fever will be tested at the regional lab for other diseases such as dengue or chikunguniya to check if there were other viruses causing the deaths,” said Dr Chaturvedi.

The team took into account the family medical history of those who died. The majority died at home while a few succumbed at private hospitals as they could not go to government hospitals, officials said.

“We could not get a proper picture of those who died as the cause of death was not ascertained but with the samples we have tested we have already begun preventive measures in the affected areas,” she said.

Fourteen villages in Badaun and six in Bareilly reported deaths and cases of high fever. “The picture will be clearer once the serum report comes,” said Dr Chaturvedi.

A union health ministry is scheduled to visit the two places. A team of the malaria control department from Lucknow will also go there in the next 24 hours.