In Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, a country already ravaged by the Covid-19 epidemic, dozens of people have died from a mysterious high fever, accompanied by a drop in the rate of platelets in blood, stomach ache and dehydration.
Last week, more than 180 patients were hospitalized in Firozabad district, and 50 people, the vast majority of them children, died, according to information from the site. The Quint, relayed by Sciences and the Future.
“A very distressing period”
Some residents also have muscle pain, mainly in the arms and legs. “A lot of children in our village have fallen ill, we had never seen that… It’s a very scary period”, testified a resident.
According to Amit Gupta, the Divisional Commissioner of Agra, a district next to Firozabad, “the main cause seems to be dengue,” or “tropical flu”.
As a reminder, this is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of a mosquito of the genus Aedes and against which there is no specific treatment or vaccine today. But “other potential causes are still being explored,” he said.
end of classes for children
While waiting to confirm the origin of this fever, local authorities recommend that residents regularly empty containers containing stagnant rainwater.
District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh also said classes have been suspended for students from grades 1 to 8, i.e. ages 6 to 14, in both public and private schools, and this, until Monday, September 6.