Mystery disease spreads in N Karnataka

G SATHYANARAYANA / TNN / Feb 12, 2006, 23:21 IST

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The mysterious joint pain disease which spread through Siddammanahalli is still out of control.

BELLARY: The mysterious joint pain disease which spread through Siddammanahalli is still out of control. Despite efforts implemented by the health department in the village, the disease is now spreading to new localities of the village.
It has also been reported that Gurubasamma (60) died of the disease last Tuesday. While her family alleges that she had intolerable joint pain and was admitted to a private nursing home in Bellary, the health department contends this claim.
The disease is spreading its tentacles even to neighbouring villages and cases are being reported from Bailur,Kurugodu and Karoor villages, adjacent to Siddammanahalli village.
According to elders in the village, many people are fleeing the disease by migrating to nearby villages. Despite all this, the health department is still lukewarm to measures of control.

Earlier, a number of health officials were deployed here to solve the mystery, but now, only a couple of staffers are working at the local primary health centre...
...
What is surprising is that even the health staff treating the patients are giving no guarantee for the medicines prescribed. It is said that they have sent an indent to the department concerned to change the prescription.
When this reporter visited Siddammanahalli, around 50-60 patients suffering from joint pain were seen at the Primary Health Centre, waiting for treatment.

But on an average, only six patients are recorded in the register. This is another gimmick by the health department to cover up heavy incidence of the disease here.
Ten days ago, a two-member team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases visited Siddammanahalli and identified the disease as laptospirosis, caused by the lapto bacteria.
The veterinary department collected blood samples of cattle and found no strain of the lapto bacteria. Now the question being raised is: how did the disease start, and how is it to be brought under control.

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