12 dead in Guj from fever, claim residents; pneumonitis, say officials

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Twelve persons, including four children below the age of 12, have died in Lakhpat taluka in Gujarat's Kutch district days after the region was battered by heavy rains, with officials on Sunday saying the cause of death primarily appears to be pneumonitis.

Some local district panchayat members, however, said doctors had not been able to accurately diagnose the fever, which was also causing difficulty in breathing.

Medical services in the taluka, which is located near the border with Pakistan, have been intensified with the deployment of 22 surveillance teams, doctors and obtaining samples from residents to rule to possibility of H1N1, swine flu, Crimean-Congo fever, malaria and dengue, Kutch Collector Amit Arora said.

"Primarily, the deaths appear to have been caused by pneumonitis. It does not appear to be from contamination nor does it seem like a communicable disease.

Twenty-two health department teams are working in the affected areas, including those brought on deputation from two community health centres as well as rapid response teams from Rajkot PDU medical college," he added.

Kutch district panchayat member Meenaba Jadeja, in a letter to Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil, claimed 12 persons in the 5-50 age group have died between September 3 and 9 due to fever in Bekhada, Sanandro, Morgar and Bharavandh villages in Lakhpat taluka. "Persons with fever were earlier admitted to a private hospital at Vermanagar town in Lakhpat taluka.

They were then taken to Dayapar CHC and finally to Bhuj general hospital. One patient was shifted to Ahmedabad. They died without recovering from the fever," former Lakhpat panchayat member Hussain Rayma said. As per residents, patients had fever, cold, cough, pneumonia and were having difficulty breathing, while another district panchayat member Mamd Jung Jat said doctors had not been able to make an accurate diagnosis of the disease.