Dhulikhel, October 11:

An outbreak of meningitis has claimed three lives in Panchkhal of Kavre within the last few days.

Secretary of Panchkhal village development committee Tanka Prasad Adhikari said the disease claimed the lives of Prashanta Poudel (9) of Panchkhal VDC-8, Shankar Sapkota (49) of Panchkhal VDC-7 and Sani Bhujel (19) of Baluwa VDC-8.

Adhikari said diseases like meningitis, malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and other communicable diseases were affecting the Panchkkhal Valley due to high temperature and infestation of mosquitoes.

He said locals have collected signatures of hundreds of people and asked a local, Bishnu Poudel, to coordinate with the authorities concerned to control the diseases.

Dr Murari Man Shrestha, in-charge for Kavre, Dailekh and Ramechhap districts of the

disease control division of the department of health, said meningitis would be declared an epidemic if the disease killed three persons within a distance of one kilometre and health workers’ team would be mobilized to control the disease.

Acting chief district officer Krishna Prasad Pandey said he had directed the district public office to mobilize health workers to control the disease.

Chief of the public health office Dr Surendra Prasad Chaurasiya said a team of six health workers led by Dr Ananta Adhikari was sent to the area today to inspect the situation and make arrangement for treatment of the disease. He said additional health workers would be sent if needed.