Dalbahadur Shahi of Talegaun-7, who died Wednesday morning, had been suffering from severe cough, headache and fever.
So far, only six VDCs -- Pajaru, Archani, Tale Gaun, Painka, Sagla and Nayak Bada -- were in the grip of the disease. It has now spread to Rokayagaun, Kortang, Laha and Majkot VDCs. According to locals, children and the elderly are fast coming down with the flu-like condition.
Meanwhile, one of the health workers deployed in the affected area has also become infected. Ram Krishna Giri, who has been working closely with patients in Pajaru since one and half weeks, was brought to district headquarters after falling sick and showing the symptoms.
Even though the outbreak started affecting the locals nearly three weeks ago, there had been no response from the authorities concerned until the matter was reported widely in the media. And when the government finally acted, the disease already posed a mounting challenge.
Chief District Officer (CDO) Jagat Bahadur Basnet informed that the local administration has decided to deploy additional health workers to the affected and adjoining areas. Though late in coming, the efforts made by the authorities, ranging from health services to awareness work, have intensified.
Meanwhile, Dr Rajendra Pant, chief of the Mid-Western Regional Health Directorate at Surkhet, said that all the available mechanisms have been brought into play to curb the outbreak. A state of high alert is needed in the adjoining areas also, he added.
He urged all stakeholders to work together to raise public awareness. A joint initiative with the support of local media persons is underway to disseminate awareness messages among the locals, who have been terror-stricken by the rapid spread of the disease.
The finding of swine flu in samples from Jajarkot, made public by the Epidemiology and Disease Control division (EDCD) of the Department of the Health Services (DoHS), has panicked the locals, Dr Pant said.
Over 20,000 people infected in the outbreak have been treated so far, as per records maintained at Jajarkot District Health Office.
Emergency alert in Dailekh
At an emergency meeting held in adjoining Dailekh district on Wednesday, the district administration office (DAO) announced a high alert in a dozen VDCs adjoining Jajarkot, where the disease has spread in around six VDCs.
The DAO, issuing a press release Wednesday, issued instructions to VDCs concerned, local health facilities, schools and social organizations to maintain a high level of alert to prevent the spread of the killer disease to Dailekh, according to Chief District Officer Pitambar Ghimire.
"As some VDCs in Dailekh are contiguous with some Jajarkot VDCs affected by the outbreak, an alert has been announced to prevent any spread in the district," he said.
He informed that a team of health workers and social activists will be deployed from Thursday in VDCs in Dailekh that adjoin Jajarkot, to monitor the disease.
In the past, 48 locals from six VDCs in Dailekh died of diarrhea that spread from Jajarkot.
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