At least 56 people, most of them children, have died following a mysterious fever outbreak in Uttar Pradesh, a state located in northern India. It is not known what disease is afflicting the area.
Quoted from IFL Science, Saturday (4/9/2021) this undetermined condition has symptoms including high fever, joint pain, headache, dehydration, and nausea, as well as several cases of rash on the upper and lower limbs.
None of the patients who developed these symptoms tested positive for COVID-19. In the six areas affected by the disease, doctors suspect the outbreak was caused by a very severe dengue fever. Blood examinations of some patients showed decreased platelet counts which supports this scenario.
"Patients, especially children, die in hospitals very quickly," Dr Neeta Kulshrestha, the most senior health official in Firozabad district, told BBC News.
Dr Kulsherestha has since been sacked by the state's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as the impact of handling the spread of the virus must be carried out immediately. A team of 11 specialist doctors have been sent to Firozabad along with medicines and other necessities.
Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes found in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, mostly in cities. There are four types of dengue virus, which means that a person can be infected four times. Most cases are mild but it is possible the virus causes acute symptoms, which can be flu-like. Like the flu, this virus can be deadly, especially without proper medical treatment
Modeling from WHO estimates that there are about 390 million dengue virus infections worldwide. One in ten people at risk of developing the disease is infected each year. The number of infections and deaths has increased massively in recent decades, quadrupling between 2000 and 2015 when 4,032 people died from the disease.
Another possibility, this disease is Japanese encephalitis which is also carried by mosquitoes. WHO estimates 68.00 clinical cases each year and the disease is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in several Asian countries. In general, Japanese encephalitis is rare but has a high case fatality ratio. Nearly one in three people who contract the virus, dies.
For both conditions, there is no known cure. However, there is a safe and effective vaccine that can prevent Japanese encephalitis. Tests and samples are being carried out to find out whether one of these viruses or another cause is behind the deadly outbreak.
Weak and ineffective mosquito control programs and the emergence of insecticide-resistant vectors are seen as reasons why certain diseases have experienced a dramatic and often fatal spike in recent decades. New investment is needed in prevention as the key to tackling a disease that can cause a fatal outbreak like the one that is happening now.
