RAHIM YAR KHAN: After at least 12 people, seven of them children, died of a ‘mysterious’ disease in the last two weeks at Basti Behram Leghari, Tajpur Pirwala, the district health authority (DHA) and the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) teams have started probing the matter.

According to Kamal Leghari, a resident of Basti Behram Leghari, who is a relative of the two children -- Salma Bibi (9) and Umaira (10) -- who fell victim to the so far unidentified disease, said some 14 days ago both of them developed low fever.

He said within hours both children had high fever with severe body ache and they started sweating. Later, both fell unconscious and were shifted to a nearby health facility, where they died after two days, he said.

Most of the victims of unidentified ailment are children

Kamal says that during the last 12 days 10 other persons -- Ijaz Ahmed (11), Maqsood Ahmed (26), Zubaida (24), Aysha (8), Rabia (20), Bushra (17), Shehnaz (2), Nazeera Bibi (17), Khadeeja Bibi (3) and Asif (2) -- developed similar symptoms and were shifted to three health facilities -- Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur, Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) RYK and Al-khalid Hospital on the National Highway, where they expired. The latest death was of the two-year-old Asif, who died at the SZMCH on Monday night, he says, adding that the DHA officials became vigilant about the matter when doctorof Al-khalid Hospital informed them about the seriousness of the issue after three deaths.

DHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Hassan Khan on Wednesday confirmed the casualties during the last few days on Wednesday.

He said in a Whatsapp message, Dr Khan said a DHA investigation team visited Basti Laghari on Tuesday and collected samples of water and blood of the members of the affected families. He said the team was dispatched to the Basti (village) after he received reports of some deaths because of the ‘mysterious’ disease.

He said he also personally visited the area where he was informed that the last case was reported on Jan 1, 2023, and most of the victims were children.

SZMCH Principal Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Leghari told Dawn that he had formed a committee comprising Prof Dr Ghulam Fareed, head of Medicine Unit II, Dr Samina Waseem HOD, Community Medicine and Dr Raghab Iqbal, Assistant Professor of Paediatric, that will complete its report in seven days after a detailed investigation.

He says it is being suspected that these are Acute Viral Meningo Encephalitis cases but nothing could be said with certainty till the results of the investigations are submitted by the committee.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023