Chickenpox outbreak in Gadhimai

Published On: April 20, 2017 01:20 AM NPT By: Madan Thakur


RAUTAHAT, April 20: Dozens of locals in Gadhimai rural municipality, Rautahat district, have been infected with chickenpox, which has been spreading in various villages of the municipality over the last one week.

It has been found that the epidemic has mainly hit Wariyarpur, Bigarnagara, Parsa, Gamhariya and Sangrampur. The past one week has been very tough for Deepu Jha of Sangrampur-4 of Gadhimai rural municipality as all his five daughters are suffering from chickenpox. Similarly, Ravishankar Yadav, Chanda Devi Yadav and her son Kishan Ray and Anjani Kumari Yadav of Wariyarpur-3 are also suffering from the disease. 

According to locals, the disease is spreading every single day. “More than three dozen locals of Wariyarpur alone have been battling chickenpox,” said Shifal Ray Yadav, a local. Likewise, two dozen locals in Sangrampur are infected with the disease. According to Dr Nawal Kishwor Jha, chief of District Public Health Office (DPHO), seven members of the family of Teji Lal Ray Yadav were suffering from chickenpox but they were cured within a short period of time after medication.

Fever, itchy blisters, headache and weakness are the common symptoms of chickenpox. According to the DPHO, increase in temperature is one of the reasons behind the outbreak of the epidemic. As it is a communicable disease, it has been found among people of all ages. Dr Jha informed Republica that the disease is slowly spreading to other parts of the district as well though it is mostly found in Gadhimai. 

There are a few cases of chickenpox in the district hospital of Gaur as well.   “We have already deployed a team of health workers in Gadhimai to stop the epidemic from spreading,” said Dr Jha. 

Caption: a patient suffering from chickenpox.


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