Bajura, March 20

A team of health workers reached Bajura’s remote Swamikartik Rural Municipality today following the news of an unknown disease claiming the lives of two infants and taking hundreds of people ill here in the past few days.

Bharbale BK’s five-month-old daughter Dammara died in Muktikot of Swamikartik RM-1 on Tuesday and Chature Thapa’s four-month-old son Gambhir died in Pudeni, Ward Number 2 of the rural municipality on Wednesday due to high fever. Besides, hundreds of people in these and other adjoining villages in the two wards have been taken ill due to a fever-related unknown malady that was first noticed five days ago.

In the wake of the report of the spread of the unknown disease, a team of health workers led by Barkhu Health Post In-charge Tirtha BK in Swamikartik RM-2 had headed to the affected areas last evening. “The team reached the disease-affected villages and started its work from today,” said Swamikartik RM Chairperson Chiranjivi Shahi.

Today itself, a separate team of health workers from District Public Health Office also left for the disease-affected areas. “A team comprising health assistants Ganesh Rokaya and Subena Singh and lab technician Ratan Budha left for the disease-affected areas with medicines,” said DPHO Chief Dayakrishna Panta, adding that the team would treat the patients and collect samples of blood, spittle and stool to send them to Kathmandu for a test.

According to Swamikartik RM-1 Chairperson Janak Bahadur Rokaya, most of the people taken ill by the disease have complained of fever, headache, cough and pain in the limbs. “Those most affected are minors and elderly,” he said.

The affected areas are around two days’ trek from the district headquarters.