Khunti (Jharkhand), Oct 5 (IANS) : At least 30 students of PM Shri High School, Tilmi, in Jharkhand’s Khunti district have fallen ill after they returned from an educational trip. Several students reported vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever, and stomach pain, officials said on Monday.
The students from Karra block began developing symptoms on Sunday evening, with several more cases reported by Monday morning. A number of 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 the Torpa block.
During the trip, the students reportedly prepared food. 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 was responsible for the illness or whether the students developed the symptoms because of an infection. The health department has initiated an investigation to determine the cause.
The highest number of affected students is reportedly from Tilmi village. Some children from nearby Masko and Barwadag villages have also reported illness, according to officials.
Following the reports, the health department has increased surveillance in the affected villages to identify any 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 villages. Health workers are conducting door-to-door visits to assess the health of children and other residents and identify suspected cases.
The teams are also providing medicines to those requiring treatment, while officials are monitoring the situation for any further spread of illness.
At the Karra Community Health Centre, doctors are keeping a close watch on the students admitted there. Their condition is currently reported to be stable, officials said.
The district hospital has also been placed on alert as a precautionary measure. Officials said that if the condition of any affected child deteriorates, arrangements have been made to shift the child to the district hospital for further treatment.
Health authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illness. No official confirmation has so far been given that contaminated food was the cause, and further medical and epidemiological assessment is expected to establish the reason behind the symptoms.
The incident has prompted increased health surveillance in the villages from which the affected students come, while medical teams continue to monitor the children and look for any additional suspected cases.
