Bhubaneswar:

Situation remans grim in Jajpur, where the total number of infections has gone past 800 with five deaths confirmed so far by the authorities. It is being suspected that contaminated drinking water could be the cause of the outbreak; however, lab test results are now awaited to confirm this.

State Public Health Director Dr Nilakantha Mishra said, "It seems the disease is spreading through water. We can only confirm after receiving the lab reports. The Chief Secretary is reviewing the situation."

With monsoon season round the corner, authorities have urged people in vulnerable areas to consume only safe, boiled and filtered-water. Medical teams from the Health Department, WHO and ICMR are on the ground, visiting affected areas for a detailed investigation.

Officials of the Odisha health department have been put on alert after death of five patients and hundreds admitted to different hospitals after outbreak of diarrhea in Jajpur district. What's worse is the water-borne disease has now spread its tentacles to Bhadrak and Keonjhar too. After fresh cases were reported in Keonjhar and Bhadrak, health officials reached affected areas in Bhadrak and have kept a close watch on Keonjhar as well.

Hundreds of patients from several blocks like Byasanagar, Jajpur Sadar, Dharmashala, Rasulpur, Korei and Danagadi, are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

As per officials, 186 patients have been admitted to the Jajpur Road hospital; over two hundred are under treatment at Dharmashala, while over a hundred are hospitals in Danagadi. Apart from this, 40 persons from Danagadi's Uchchabali have been shifted to Anandpur Medical College, while those critical have been referred to Cuttack SCB Hospital and district headquarters hospitals.

Meanwhile, local health officials have stepped up efforts on the ground to tackle the situation. Jajpur's District Medical Officer Dr Vijay Mishra said health workers, Anganwadi workers and administration officials are conducting door-to-door visits to identify infected persons and distribute ORS packets and medicines.

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