Odisha: Mysterious disease hits Malkangiri district, 13 dead

Villages are in the state of panic and said the deadly disease starts with the body swelling and later loses appetite which kills a person within a week. The village has already lost 13 people in one month including two children.

As per reports, an unknown disease has been discovered in a tribal village of Malkangiri district. The mysterious disease has already taken the lives of 13 people in the last month in Sodiguda village, Mathili block.
Villages are in the state of panic and said the deadly disease starts with the body swelling and later loses appetite which kills a person within a week. The village has already lost 13 people in one month including two children.

As per reports, the villagers are not considering doctors for cure but local quacks. Affected people are getting treated by traditional healers, in fact, the village headman believes that a witch doctor can treat them well.

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According to the youth in the village, villagers are afraid of hospitals because of COVID-19 and they feel it’s not safe to go there. It should be noted that the village witnessed something similar in May and June and it has already lost 15 Koya tribals.

According to local villagers, those who died were not able to speak, stand, or walk. They complain of swollen stomach and legs and had acute respiratory problems. Apart from that, the villagers also had a cold, fever, and vomiting. The first case was reported on February 24, 2020, and most people who died were aged from 25 to 65.

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Medical officer Dr. Amiya Kumar Swain will look into the matter and form a special medical team to handle the situation after collecting blood samples.