A mysterious disease has caused the death of nine children and affected over 30 others in a village in Patna district.
A team of doctors, including Patna's civil surgeon Dr S K Aman, and medical experts, who visited Mushartola on Thursday, failed to identify the disease.
The symptoms are similar to those of measles, including high fever, difficulty in breathing, cough, body pain and pneumonia. "The children developed these symptoms and died within 24 hours," said a doctor of Bihta Hospital.
They were also suffering from malnutrition, a condition that made them prone to viral infections.
Patna District Magistrate Deepak Kumar, however, denied it was an epidemic. He suspects viral infection. "There is no reason to panic. The situation is under control and the administration has taken measures to combat the spread of the disease," he said.
Ten out of 30 affected children have been sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital and the rest to the Bihta Government Hospital on the directions of state Chief Secretary A K Vishvash.
The local authorities had been directed to spray DDT to disinfect the area. Meanwhile, as part of the cleanliness drive, all nearby hospitals have been sanitised and children are being kept in isolation to check the spread of the unknown disease, sources said.
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