Suspected Gastroenteritis outbreak in South Mizoram claims six lives

Aizawl, Nov 13: With one more death reported, the suspected gastroenteritis outbreak in south Mizoram has claimed six lives -five in Kakichhuah village of Lawngtlai district and one in Lungdar (Lodaw in Mara dialect) village of neighbouring Siaha district, officials said.

The latest victim a 14-year-old boy named Chaw lithaw - died around 4 am on Wednesday. All the victims had exhibited symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever.

A medical team led by Dr C Lalzampuii, which visited Kakichhuah on Tuesday, has returned to Lawngtlai with samples collected from patients and from the village's spring water source. Lawngtlai Chief Medical Officer Dr Lalmuanawma Jongte said that the samples would be sent to Aizawl for laboratory analysis to confirm the cause of the outbreak.

"From the symptoms observed, it appears to be a case of gastroenteritis," Dr Jongte said over phone. He added that the disease might have been spread by people from the Myanmar side who recently visited Kakichhuah.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the outbreak, the Young Lai Association unit of Kakichhuah has imposed a ban on visitors entering the village and prohibited villagers from travelling to neighbouring settlements as a preventive measure.