Jajpur cholera outbreak; Death toll rises to 7 after two more persons succumb; Central team to take stock of situation

The ongoing health crisis due to a cholera outbreak in Jajpur continued to worsen as the death toll rose further, with two more suspected deaths being reported, taking the toll to seven as of Sunday morning. 

According to sources, two people succumbed to diarrhoea and deteriorating health caused by cholera while being under treatment. With this, the situation stands at over 1,500 affected people and seven deaths.

The news comes even as health officials confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae in water sources and stool samples in Jajpur and detected the suspected contamination to have spread to Bhadrak district as well.

Cholera Cases Detected in Bhadrak Too

Reports from Friday evening confirmed that eight out of 41 stool samples collected from Jajpur and neighbouring Bhadrak districts have tested positive for cholera. Both regions have reported rising cases of diarrhoea, prompting a high-level emergency response.

To assess this situation, a multi-agency central team comprising experts from the ICMR, NCDC, WHO, and FSSAI will reach Odisha today. Accompanied by the state’s Director of Public Health and Health Services, the team will review containment efforts in Jajpur, which is currently the epicentre of the outbreak.

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State Launches Campaign Against Monsoon Diseases

To prevent further escalation, Odisha’s Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has launched a comprehensive campaign targeting cholera, diarrhoea, dengue, and malaria.

At a high-level inter-departmental meeting on Saturday, he directed all sanitation and water-quality testing efforts to be completed within 10 days. 

In a precautionary move, the Jajpur district administration banned community feasts and discouraged the consumption of festive cooked rice during the ongoing Raja festival, citing food contamination risks. Officials also stated that the crisis was being monitored continuously and that several patients were recovering steadily.