Health officials have drawn up caution following media reports on deaths of ten people supposedly by an unidentified disease in the Mid-West district of Jajarkot.
Three separate medical teams, one each from Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), World Health Organisation(WHO) and Mid-West Regional Health Directorate, are all set to visit Jajarkot to collect samples and investigate on whether or not a flu-like disease has actually caused deaths.
The teams from WHO and the regional directorate will leave for Jajarkot on Saturday while the EDCD team is scheduled to leave Kathmandu on Sunday, said health officials.
Following reports of the disease, the EDCD had deployed health teams to each of the deceased's houses.
"We found that all but three deceased had a long history of other diseases like asthma, high blood pressure and tuberculosis. So, we cannot say whether all the deaths were actually caused by the rumored disease," said Krishna Khatri, EDCD focal person for the district.
According to Jajarkot's Chief District Officer Jagat Bahadur Basnet, ten people have died so far with two deaths reported on Friday only.
"The patients showed symptoms like nausea, numbness and high fever," said Basnet. "More than 400 patients suffering from common cold and cough have been treated so far."
Five VDCs of Jajarkot of Paink, Archhani, Sakala, Dandagaun and Paraju have been affected by the flu-like disease. The first casualty reported was 20-year-old Sushmita Jaisi of Archhani 5. A tenth grader, Jaisi showed symptoms upon returning home after taking her SLC examinations. She later died of complications.