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Over 30 students of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Odisha’s Khurda district were taken ill following a jaundice outbreak on campus, said officials, triggering panic among parents of those enrolled in the centrally funded residential school.
The state government on Monday deputed a medical team that collected water samples from the campus to ascertain the source and cause of the jaundice outbreak. They also collected blood samples of students, inspected the dining and kitchen areas, as well as the hostel and the administrative building.
Odisha’s Director of Public Health Nilakantha Mishra said one student was diagnosed with jaundice after returning to the campus following Christmas vacation. Later, several students complained ill health and fever, and later tested positive for jaundice.
“The district and urban health teams have already visited the campus to conduct a health check-up of other students and to collect samples. A state-level health team also visited to take stock of the situation. We are keeping a close watch on the situation, and appropriate action will be taken to bring the situation under control,” said Mishra.
All students who tested positive have been sent home, while parents of several other students reached the campus to take their children back until the situation normalises, said school authorities. The school has a total of 569 students enrolled in classes 6 to 12.
Test reports of over 100 students who had complained of fever are awaited.
Authorities of the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), which is responsible for water supply in urban areas, visited the school to check whether water contamination could be behind the outbreak. They took samples from the water tank, but also played down the possibility of water contamination, saying the supply was being monitored online 24×7.
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WATCO General Manager Rajendranath Nayak said the spread of jaundice could be due to other reasons, like the consumption of food from outside by students.
School authorities also said the water tanks of the schools were cleaned at regular intervals. To curb further spread of the outbreak, authorities said emphasis was laid on maintaining hygiene and creating awareness.
