Four Mushar people died of the unidentified disease between 10 pm Wednesday and 3 am Thursday in Balabakhar VDC ward number 8. [break]
The dead have been indentified as Pradip Sada, 35; Phul Kumari Sada, 45; Draupadi Sada, 47; and Devaki Devi Sada, 40.
Around 20 more Musahar people have fallen seriously ill. A health team that reached the Musahar settlement on Thursday has given saline water to all the patients.
Mahendra Sada, 45; Mangali Devi Sada, 38; Bechan Sada, 60; Ram Dev Sada, 37; Anar Devi Sada, 55; Babita Sada, 32; Kusum Devi Sada, 37; Agair Devi Sada, 30; Ram Tula Devi Sada, 31; Budhani Devi Sada, 35; Jagadish Sada, 42; Hari Sada, 50; Bilati Sada, 43; Tara Devi Sada, 30; Chandrakala Devi Sada, 27; Bijaya Sada, 36; Maniya Sada, 50; Lalita Devi Yadav, 35; Bijaya Sada, 27; Jaya Prakash Sada, 27; and Kishori Sada, 50, are seriously ill, according to the Sabaila Area Police Office in Dhanusha.
Ghanshyam Nayak, acting chief of District Public Health Office of Dhanusha, said the disease has been somewhat contained by Thursday evening. "No death occurred after Thursday morning," said Nayak. "But, the number of sick constantly rose throughout the day."
The sick have complained of headache, nausea and frothing in the mouth among other things. The locals say all the four dead had shown similar symptoms before they died.
Nayak says the disease spread in the Musahar settlement is very unique. "I have never come across such disease in 30 years of my career," he said. The health team has collected and sent blood samples taken from the sick to a local lab to confirm the type and nature of the disease.
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