Daijiworld Media Network - Khunti
Khunti (Jharkhand), Oct 5: At least 30 students of PM Shri High School, Tilmi, in Jharkhand's Khunti district have fallen ill after returning from an educational trip, with several reporting vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever and stomach pain, officials said on Monday.
The students from Karra block began developing symptoms on Sunday evening, with more cases reported by Monday morning. Several students were admitted to the Karra Community Health Centre for treatment.
According to the health department, the illness may be linked to an educational trip undertaken by the students on October 3. The school had taken the students to a gurukul at Dodma and Rani Falls in Torpa block.
During the trip, the students reportedly prepared food themselves. Health officials have also received information that some students consumed food purchased from roadside stalls operating near the picnic site.
However, officials have not yet established whether contaminated food caused the illness or whether the students developed the symptoms due to an infection. The health department has launched an investigation to determine the cause.
The highest number of affected students is reportedly from Tilmi village, while some children from nearby Masko and Barwadag villages have also fallen ill, officials said.
Following reports of the illness, the health department stepped up surveillance in the affected villages to identify additional cases and monitor the health of residents.
On the directions of Civil Surgeon Dr Lalit Ranjan Pathak, medical teams were sent to Tilmi, Masko and Barwadag. Health workers are conducting door-to-door visits to assess the health of children and other residents and identify suspected cases.
The medical teams are also providing medicines to those requiring treatment, while officials are closely monitoring the situation for any further spread of the illness.
Doctors at the Karra Community Health Centre are keeping a close watch on the students admitted there. Their condition is currently stable, officials said.
The district hospital has also been placed on alert as a precautionary measure. Officials said arrangements have been made to shift any affected child to the district hospital for further treatment if their condition deteriorates.
Health authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illness. There has been no official confirmation so far that contaminated food was responsible, and further medical and epidemiological assessment is expected to establish the cause of the symptoms.
The incident has prompted increased health surveillance in the villages from where the affected students come, with medical teams continuing to monitor the children and look for additional suspected cases.