Khunti (Jharkhand): At least 30 students of PM Shri High School, Tilmi, in Jharkhand’s Khunti district have fallen ill after returning from an educational trip, with several reporting vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever and stomach pain, officials said on Monday.
The students from Karra block began developing symptoms on Sunday evening, while several more cases were reported by Monday morning. A number of students were admitted to the Karra Community Health Centre for treatment.
According to the health department, the illness may be linked to an educational trip undertaken by the students on October 3. The school had taken the students to a gurukul at Dodma and Rani Falls in Torpa block.
During the trip, the students reportedly prepared food. Health officials also received information that some students consumed food purchased from roadside stalls near the picnic site.
However, officials have not yet established whether contaminated food caused the illness or whether the students developed the symptoms because of an infection. The health department has launched an investigation to determine the cause.
Medical teams deployed in affected villages
The highest number of affected students are reportedly from Tilmi village, while children from nearby Masko and Barwadag villages have also reported illness.
Following the reports, the health department increased surveillance in the affected villages to identify additional cases and monitor residents’ health.
On the directions of Civil Surgeon Dr Lalit Ranjan Pathak, medical teams were sent to Tilmi, Masko and Barwadag. Health workers are conducting door-to-door visits to assess the health of children and other residents and identify suspected cases.
The teams are also providing medicines to those requiring treatment, while officials continue to monitor the situation for any further spread of illness.
Students stable, district hospital on alert
Doctors at the Karra Community Health Centre are closely monitoring the students admitted there. Their condition is currently reported to be stable, officials said.
The district hospital has also been placed on alert as a precautionary measure. Officials said arrangements have been made to shift any child to the district hospital if their condition deteriorates.
Health authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illness. No official confirmation has so far been given that contaminated food was responsible, and further medical and epidemiological assessment is expected to establish the cause of the symptoms.
The incident has prompted increased health surveillance in the villages from which the affected students come, while medical teams continue to monitor the children and look for any additional suspected cases.