Jaundice outbreak at Ulana village, 9 schoolchildren fall ill

Tribune News Service

Ghanaur, August 23

Jaundice outbreak at Ulana village of Ghanaur block of the district has, already, left nine school children ill, including three critical, over the past one week. 

Fearing a further spread of jaundice, the district health authorities have already swung into action with conducting a medical check-up of the villagers. The matter came to light when the ASHA workers, at the village, reported to Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Harpalpur, about some kids having yellow skin. 

Consequently, the Health Department conducted a medical camp at the village. During the camp, nine school children, aged between 8-19 years, showed symptoms of Jaundice. 

The health authorities said, till that date, nine patients of jaundice had been reported from the village. Out of the nine affected children, three were girls, while six were boys. The health authorities examined patients in the village itself and also held an awareness lecture on the prevention and cure of jaundice on Thursday.

A jaundice patient said he started showing the symptoms of the disease around a fortnight ago, but it was just recently that he got to know that it was jaundice.

In the meantime, the health authorities had already collected five water samples from different locations which have, already, been sent to the water-testing lab.

Ravinder Rishi, SMO, Harpalpur, said, “The ASHA workers informed us about the symptoms of jaundice among the villagers. We, immediately, held a camp at the village and gave the treatment to the villagers.”

Rishi, further informed, the Health Department had also taken blood samples of the affected schoolchildren and sent it to Mata Kaushalya Hospital to test the type of jaundice. “If it is hepatitis A or E, it would be a clear indication that it was due to the contaminated water, but, if it is Hepatitis C – it would be a serious concern.”