At least six children have died and more than 100 others have fallen ill following a disease outbreak across four tribal-dominated villages in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district over the past month, officials said on Tuesday. The outbreak has affected children in Adori, Kundeksa, Bondari and Korka villages, which have a significant population from the Baiga tribal community. Health authorities are yet to establish the exact cause of the illness, with samples sent to specialised laboratories for examination.
Officials said 101 children have fallen ill, with symptoms including high fever, skin rashes and red spots, abdominal pain and ulcers. The affected children are between one and 13 years of age and cases have been reported since July. Of those affected, six children have died, while 47 are undergoing treatment in hospitals. Another 54 children are being treated at their homes.
Balaghat Chief Medical and Health Officer Paresh Upalap said the deaths were associated with multiple infections. Blood samples have been sent for specialised testing to the ICMR-National Institute of Research in Bacterial Infections in Kolkata and the ICMR-National Institute of Virology in Pune to determine the precise cause of the outbreak. Temporary health camps have also been established by the district administration in the affected villages.
A doctor involved in the response said some villagers initially turned to traditional faith-healing practices and rituals rather than seeking medical treatment. By the time the condition of several children deteriorated and they were taken to hospitals in Baihar and Balaghat, valuable treatment time had been lost. Residents, however, have accused the health department of responding late despite children remaining ill for weeks. Adori village head Parasram Dhurve alleged that inadequate healthcare facilities contributed to the situation and questioned why health camps were established only after the deaths were reported. The outbreak had raised concern in the tribal belt even before the latest figures emerged. Reports in late July had indicated several cases of fever, body pain and rashes among children in the Baihar-Birsa region.
A specialist team from Jabalpur Medical College has now been sent to the affected area to investigate the outbreak. The team is being led by epidemiologist Dr Ravindra Vishnoi. Medical experts are supervising the treatment of affected children and trying to establish whether a common infection or a combination of illnesses is responsible for the deaths and widespread sickness.
Health officials have also detected acute nutritional deficiencies among some of the children, adding another concern for medical teams treating patients in the affected villages. A report on the situation has been submitted to the Madhya Pradesh health department in Bhopal, according to the district’s chief medical and health officer. Authorities are continuing surveillance and treatment in the four villages while awaiting laboratory results that could establish the exact nature of the infections behind the outbreak.