Biratnagar, December 5:

Fifty-odd people of Urlabari, Pathari, Shanischare and Madhumalla VDCs of Morang district are suffering from malaria. The Morang district public health office said they have distributed medicines to control the disease.

The office found 24 malaria patients after conducting blood test on 1,243 people in Urlabari. According to the office, 17 malaria patients were found in Pathari-4 in a population of 85, while six patients were found in a population of 285 people in Shanischare-2. Two out of 197 people were found to have contracted malaria in Madhumalla-2.

The office said it also conducted blood tests in other areas, including Rajghat and Itahara, but no one was found to have contracted malaria. A team led by Dr Manaskumar Banargi, chief of the department of epidemiology under the Health Ministry, inspected the affected villages.

“We have sent medicines,”said administrative officer Sitaram Dhakal.