Malaria kills one more, toll reaches 16

GARHWA: One more child died of

malaria

at

Karwa Pahad

village in Dhurki block of Garhwa district on Monday, taking the death toll to 16 in the last fortnight. This comes even after the district administration distributed medicines to those affected, following the death of three children in one day in the same village.

A team of doctors led by R K Lal of Rims visited the area and collected the children's blood samples. The team suspects the disease is engineered by a new breed of mosquito. Dhurki block medical officer Dr

Dinesh Kumar Singh

confirmed malaria after examining the patients' blood samples. "Based on the examination report, we have prescribed medicines to the remaining affected children. At least 50 patients continue to suffer from malaria."

Dr Singh, however, said it is difficult to ascertain whether the children died of malaria or due to any other disease caused by the new breed of mosquitoes. District malaria officer

Bindeshwari Rajak

said, "The death of 16 children in Karwa Pahad was due to biting of a certain kind of mosquitoes. The specimen of such mosquitoes has been sent to Rims, Ranchi, for experts to examine the species.

Garhwa DC Neha Arora instructed civil surgeon T Hembrom to examine the blood samples of all the residents of

Korwa Pahad

. "There should not be any laxity in treatment of the patients," the DC said.