A sudden and unexplained illness has resulted in the deaths of 10 people across two districts of Uttarakhand, triggering concern among local communities and prompting a swift response from health authorities. The fatalities, reported over a fortnight, are concentrated in the Dhauladevi block of Almora district and the Roorkee area of Haridwar.
According to a TOI report, seven deaths have been recorded in Almora's Dhauladevi block alone in the past fifteen days. A further three fatalities have been reported from the Roorkee region in Haridwar district.
Patients affected by the illness have presented with a high fever and a concerning drop in platelet count, a symptom often associated with viral infections like dengue. This has led to local speculation about a dengue outbreak. However, health officials have moved to temper these fears, stating that a definitive cause remains unknown pending laboratory results.
"The exact cause of infection will be known once reports are received," Chief Medical Officer Dr Naveen Chandra Tiwari was quoted as saying by TOI. Samples from affected individuals have been sent to Almora Medical College for analysis.
Dr Tiwari provided further detail on the Almora fatalities, suggesting that not all deaths may be directly linked to a single infectious source. "Out of the seven deaths, three appear to be related to viral infection. The rest seem to be due to age-related health complications," he said.
Despite this assessment, the cluster of deaths has caused significant unease. Locals have raised questions about the investigative process, noting that postmortems were not conducted on the deceased. "Seven persons have died, yet no postmortems were conducted. Without that, how can we know the real cause?" questioned Dinesh Bhatt, a resident of Dhauladevi, as reported by TOI.
In response to the crisis, health teams are now deployed in the affected areas. Secretary of Health, R Rajesh Kumar, confirmed that intensive monitoring is underway in Dhauladevi, accompanied by a scientific evaluation of the deaths.
While the investigation continues, state health officials have sought to downplay rumours of a major outbreak. One official explicitly denied the existence of a "mystery fever or dengue outbreak," characterising the situation instead as a "seasonal viral fever." The official added that case numbers are expected to decline with the onset of colder winter weather.
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