Bird flu like illness haunts CCpur village
Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, January 07 2009: Barely forty-eight hours after an epidemic like mysterious infection identified as 'highly infectious with cerebral infection' hit a tiny hamlet in the district, the conference hall of the Chief Medical Officer which was temporarily transformed to isolate the infected is now packed with patients as the number keeps mounting.

Thirty eight people, including children, all hailing from Misao Lhahvom village were admitted at the District Hospital here since Saturday night for the yet to be diagnosed infection.

Crowded sicks afflicted by the unknown disease and the lab work on remains of the birds at CCpur

Initially the disease which took an epidemic form was initially suspected to be that of Malaria but Optimal Test � a test for Malaria, conducted on the sixteen patients initially who rushed to the Hospital on Monday night hs turned out to be negative.

Following the discovery of fowls dying in tens and on sighting ailing ones in the village the much hyped 'Bird Flu' was suspected but Medical officials and Veterinary Doctors have failed to find any link with the flu.

Dr Singkhozam Hauzel, Chief Medical Officer said that of the three symptoms identified with Bird Flu, Fever and Cough were detected on the villagers but the most significant of all � breathing disorder is missing.

His contention was backed by Dr Saidokum Pudaite, Jt Director of the district Veterinary Department who said, 'We did not find any Bird Flu symptoms on the dead fowls,' moments after collecting carcasses and blood samples from the village yesterday.

Dr Bhubon Singh, State Epidemiologist who was in town today to take stock of the situation told The Sangai Express that he was certain the 'viral' infection was not Bird Flu but something else.

Dr Ginzaniang, a Physician who was first summoned to attend the mysterious illness said the patients suffered acute fever, cough and nausea when they were brought to the District Hospital.

She also claimed that most of the patients till date are recuperating with the administration of antibiotics and ruled out any casualty.

With eighteen more villagers infected by the mysterious illness till Tuesday, the district administration on the advice of the medical officials and civil societies such as ZYA, KKL, CDSU and ZHRF, ordered an isolation.

At the end of the day the ailing villagers on isolation reached a whooping thirty four.

Five more villagers were brought to the hospital today added to the number of patients attended in isolation bringing number of patients of the yet to be diagnosed disease to thirty nine.

Seipao Misao, a village elder said his villagers suffered mass illness not long after the Church youth hosted a public feast on Monday after a day long sporting events.

One thing that made the medical fraternity here anxious was the strange symptoms that were experienced by the patients and the alleged infectious nature.

'Our first impression was that it was highly infectious in nature and that it affects the brain, which is probably the first of its kind in the State,' Dr VC Pau said, adding, 'we ourselves are not immune, so it needs to be immediately identified'.

Three doctors who have been advised to attend to the patients in isolation said the illness seems to be infectious if not contagious.

As was the contention, all medical staff attending the patients ever since their isolation put on gloves and face mask as a preventive measure, however the attendants were not provided any 'protective gears'.

Blood samples from all the patients were collected today for further investigation by the State epidemiologist.

One suspected source of such a mass scale illness according to medics could be the drinking water, but here too medics said the symptoms would include diarrhea in the case, and the same was missing in this case.

It is worth mentioning that a fowl gifted to a woman by her paternal parents from Sugnu after undergoing operation at Imphal sometime last year died of an unknown disease on Monday night.

A handful of reporters tried their bit to locate the fowl that was thrown into the woods early on Tuesday by its owner but it did not yield any fruit.

Sixty-five-year-old Ngainem of Misao Lhahvom told reporters on Tuesday that she lost more than ten fowls since Saturday � six on Saturday, and four on Monday.

The ageing woman was attending to two of her still ailing fowls when the team reached there yesterday.

One dose of Tetracycline administered with a tea spoon failed to do the rescue act and gave the media the chance to film the last moments before it passed away.

The other however recuperated with the administration of the medicine.

There are reports of some patients being discharged later today, but the one impression that is in mind remains, 'what would be the fate of the villagers even if they went back � spending time on the same old locality with the same daily chores eating and drinking from the same source.

Would they return ill, to the same isolation ward in a few days or not, remains to be seen until that time the State medical officials diagnose the cause of the strange illness' .