8 die of ‘mystery disease’, 400 sick

[RAAZ]

DADELDHURA, Oct 14 - An outbreak of a "mysterious disease" in a remote village in the far-western district of Dadeldhura claimed eight lives, including four minors, in the past two weeks. Some 400 others in adjoining villages are reportedly affected.

To add to the woes of the locals, the health post at Belapur village is without health workers since the last two years while the District Hospital too is without a doctor since some time back.

According to locals, those who died showed strange symptoms of headache and breathing difficulty. They died shortly after.

Among the dead, only Beludevi Khadayat, 60, of Belapur VDC was identified.
Over 400 persons in the village and other areas of Singas Siddapur and Dhungad - villages adjoining Baitadi district - have been affected by the strange disease.

The locals say that those afflicted had died wherever they were at the time they caught the "deadly disease". Some died working in the farms while others fell dead while grazing cattle in the forest.
The number of those affected and dead could be even higher, according to locals.

Dr Shuvesh Raj Kayastha, chief at Mahakali Zonal Hospital at Kanchanpur, Mahendranagar, said that the disease could be caused by viral infection.
He further feared that it could be an illness similar to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

Absence of doctors and health workers in the district has made it difficult to diagnose the disease and consequently to provide treatment to the affected.