In a concerning incident, the Rayagada District Administration on Tuesday informed that the Kashipur block of the district in Odisha has been severely affected by the outbreak of cholera disease. The ailment has spread so much that more than seven people have died and about 104 are being treated in the hospitals in Kashipur, Rayagada.
The Rayagada District Administration said on Twitter that clean drinking water is being supplied to villages affected by Cholera and Diarrhoeain in the Kashipur Block. It also requested the citizens to consume the supplied water only after thorough boiling. “All are requested to please consume only supplied water and refrain from using any other source of water”, the administration added.
Clean drinking water is being supplied to villages affected by Cholera/Diarrhoeain Kashipur Block.
— Collector & DM, Rayagada (@DM_Rayagada) July 19, 2022
All are requested to pl consume only supply water, after thorpugh boiling and refrain from using any other source of water. pic.twitter.com/iI8b30LkGy
Rayagada District Collector Swadha Dev Singh reported that initially, the administration suspected the spread to be diarrhoea. “Later it came to the fore that people might have been infected with cholera also. Some collapsed because they could not get the proper medical attention at the due time”, Singh was quoted.
According to the reports, the administration tested the samples to understand the nature of the outbreak. Three of the nine abdominal swab samples from patients in the area were positive for the Vibrio cholerae bug. The Vibrio cholera bacteria were detected in the faeces of patients diagnosed from Dudukabahal village, one of several blocks’ multiple impacted communities. The bacterium was also discovered in the locals’ drinking water.
Dr Lalmohan Routray, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Rayagada also confirmed that the disease has spread from the contaminated water. Following the spread, the administration has taken several steps to curb the spread of cholera, including the establishment of two temporary medical camps in afflicted regions of the Kashipur block. The medical experts have raced to the region and are going door to door to see if anyone is experiencing any symptoms.
The area has seen multiple instances of cholera outbreak over the years
To note, the tribal-dominated district in southern Odisha has a history of the spread of cholera and other water-borne diseases. Earlier in 2010, a similar severe spread of cholera was found in the same Kashipur area of Odisha. The administration then led by the then Rayagada collector Nitin Jawale had put an end to outbreaks by sanitizing water sources on a massive scale.
Times when doctor in you gets to perform. Administering IV fluids to patients when I was Collector Rayagada, while managing the outbreak of Cholera in ‘Kashipur’ area.We put an end to outbreaks by sanitizing water sources on massive scale. More on it here: https://t.co/ZeGTcm9Jve pic.twitter.com/EldpRG4IMc
— Nitin Jawale (@nitinbjawale) September 27, 2020
According to a government survey, a total of 37 outbreaks of cholera have been reported from 1993 to the year 2015 affecting around 90,773 individuals and causing 275 deaths, approximately 13 per year. Despite significant breakthroughs in epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy, cholera remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality in Odisha. It mostly affects the population, who have restricted access to safe drinking water and lack proper sanitation.
The matter of the current severe spread of Cholera in the Kashipur block was also addressed in the State Assembly, with Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra requesting a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Makaranda Muduli, MLA of Rayagada, has meanwhile urged a long-term solution to the vexing diarrhoea and cholera problem in Kashipur block, citing the fact that many impoverished people are falling victim to the water-borne disease.
Reports mention that many of the 104 affected individuals are being treated at the Kashipur Community Health Centre, Tikiri Primary Health Centre, Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital, Aditya Birla Medical and Utkal Hospital in Ushapada. One patient is also being treated at Koraput’s SLN Medical College and Hospital. The neighbouring districts of Koraput and Kalahandi have also been put on alert.
