IMPHAL, June 9 - A five-year-old girl has died and three other families have been affected following an outbreak of measles at two villages in Churachandpur district, officials said today.
The outbreak took place at Monglenphai and K Sinai villages located close to the Churachandpur district headquarters, about 65 km south of Imphal.
Reports said that the minor victim had developed rashes all over her body, accompanied by a runny nose, redness in the eyes and cough following two days of continuous fever. On June 4, the girl was taken to a quack and on the following day at around 1 am, she succumbed to her illness. The district administration issued an �outbreak notification� on June 6.
Additional Director of the Family Welfare Department Dr Th Somorendra Singh rushed to the villages on Friday to collect blood samples from the affected families, district officials said. Officials who visited the two villages said that the outbreak was due to the villagers� refusal to allow vaccination programmes.
Dr Singh appealed to the villagers to vaccinate their children (aged between nine months and 15 years) against measles and rubella at the earliest.
According to the District Family Welfare Officer of Churachandpur, Dr Jam Thianlal, three families of Monglenphai and K Sinai villages were affected by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, a team comprising staff from the District Surveillance Office of the Family Welfare Department and ASHAs of Monglenphai collected blood samples and throat swabs of the victims and sent them for laboratory tests.
Even though the outbreak is confined to the two villages, the Chief Medical Officer and the DFWO of the district have submitted theirs reports to the State Health Department for necessary action.
