UP ‘fever’ deaths: Centre sends team

The spate of unusual fever deaths reported from Kanpur in the past few days has put the Union Health Ministry on its toes.

The spate of unusual fever deaths reported from Kanpur in the past few days has put the Union Health Ministry on its toes. After state health authorities pleaded helplessness in investigating the cause of the deaths of 40 people over the past 20 days, the ministry has directed a team of experts to visit the state.

“While the state health authorities have shown their inability in finding the reason for the deaths, which had happened due to a fever-like condition, a team of experts from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) will now go and check,” said Dr G P S Dhillon, director, NVBDCP in response to a report sent by the state Government on Tuesday, disclosing that local health authorities were not able to pinpoint the reason for the deaths.

So far, the fever has spread across 150 villages, specifically in four blocks — Amraudha, Malasa, Dherapur and Sarvankheda — home to 3 lakh people in Kanpur. Most of the deaths occurred on Monday, following which 40 teams of doctors have been deployed in the blocks where the “mystery” fever has spread. A village Seruva ka Purva under Sarvankheda Block has already witnessed over a 100 cases and the deaths of two children in the past few days.

“While they had earlier said that people have died of malaria, we have ruled out this cause,” said Dr Dhillon. Experts now suspect that a new virus may be circulating in the area. “In such cases laboratory testing is necessary. A detailed investigation is required and the epidemiologists will find out the cause,” added another official.