Malkangiri, Oct 1: Yesterday two infants succumbed to death in Malkangiri district as Japanese Encephalitis spread its tentacles in the district raising toll to 21 in the past three weeks. Doctors treating the children confirmed that the deaths were due to the mosquito-borne disease. More cases continued to come to fore even as the State government sent a four-member team from MKCG medical college to the mishap area to take a note of the situation. Condition of 3-4 children is stated to be critical. The Health department is carrying out fogging drive in the affected villages to check the disease from spreading to other villages.
Notably, the deadly disease has spread its tentacles to 18 villages contrary to 16 as claimed by the Health department. According to a government official 16 villages across Malkangiri, Kalimela, Mathili and Podia blocks of the district are the worst affected. Mansa, Goreiguda and Bailapalli under Malkangiri block and eight villages of Analguda, Palkonda, Sindhiguda, Siadimal, Chitapari, Kachalwada, Tekguda and Dangaskhal under Korukonda block besides Golaguda in Podia block and Dhungiaput in Mathili block are also badly affected by the disease, he added.
