Five students at a residential school in Soro, in Balasore district of Odisha, screened positive for encephalitis, according to doctors.

According to Dr. Sasanka Sekhar Choudhury of the district headquarters hospital in Balasore, five out of the 29 sick students who were hospitalised at the residential school “Purubai Kanyashram” tested positive for encephalitis on Monday.

“Five ailing students have been detected with positive encephalitis from their blood sample test and are under treatment at Balasore district headquarters hospital,” he said. He further added that six students were transferred from Soro hospital to Balasore hospital on Monday morning. The other students who are sick are symptomatic, under observation, and admitted there.

According to the official, three girls fell unwell at the Kanyashram on Friday night, complaining of a strong headache, vomiting, loose stools, and nausea. They were first taken to the nearby Soro hospital and then transferred to Balasore hospital, where one kid from class 10 passed away.

The district administration acted quickly to address the issue and a team led by the CDMO hurried to the residential school to make the required preparations.

The blood samples of the students were transferred to SCB Medical College on Sunday after the residential school was inspected by the director of public health Dr. Niranjan Mishra and other officials.

Japanese encephalitis(JEV), a brain virus infection brought on by mosquito bites, is related to the dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses in its species.

With an estimated 68 000 clinical cases each year, JEV is the primary cause of viral encephalitis in several Asian nations. When mosquitoes attack infected animals, they spread the virus, which is present in pigs and birds. It is not contagious. Currently, there is no treatment for Japanese encephalitis. Supporting the body’s processes while it tries to fight off the infection is part of the treatment.

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