An unknown fever has claimed 84 lives as of 21 September 2018, reported NDTV. The cases have been reported from across Uttar Pradesh in the last six weeks.
The report cites the example of a 12-year-old boy in Bareilly who came down with high fever. His father told NDTV:
His body was burning. I initially took him to the village doctor, but there was no improvement in his condition. Although I took him to the district hospital after that, he did not survive.
Confirming the outbreak in a press release, the UP government named six districts from where the cases have been reported. These include Bareilly, Badaun, Sitapur, Hardoi, Bahraich and Shahjahanpur.
UP Director General of Health Services Padmakar Singh said:
Prima facie, it seems like these are cases of viral fever, typhoid and malaria. We are distributing medicines, organising camps and conducting mosquito-fogging drives. I am confident that we will be able to control this.
The report added that a government spokesperson has also mentioned an awareness drive to ensure there is no panic among people as a result of “misleading and incorrect” media reports.
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