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The threat of an epidemic continues to loom over Orissa even as diarrhoea claimed twenty lives in the flood-affected where it has been spreading at an alarming rate affecting more than 8000 people, sources in the state health control room said.
Stagnant pools of water, remnants of week long rains and flooding, have become ideal breeding grounds for deadly germs and mosquitoes and could possibly spark a number of water-borne diseases.
A senior doctor of the state health department, who returned from the flood affected areas said water borne diseases were spreading rapidly in flood-affected districts as large parts still remains under water and people were forced to drink contaminated water in the absence of clean water.
According to sources, about 12,000 people had been affected by water borne diseases in worst hit Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Puri districts.
As per the latest official report, the number of persons affected by diarrhoea went up to 8634 from 5,474 till Wednesday.
Twenty persons had died of diarrhoea till Thursday with Kendrapara accounting for the highest number of deaths, official in-charge of the health control room said.
Despite the steady increase in diarrhoea cases, state government officials said there was no threat of an epidemic. "The disease has not assumed an epidemic proportion," Health Secretary Meena Gupta said.
Hundred teams of doctors had been despatched to the affected areas with adequate preventive medicines, she added.
Meanwhile, malaria and jaundice have claimed one life each in flood affected districts.
Moreover, 60 cases of snake bites, including four deaths, were reported, sources said.
EARLIER REPORT Rampaging Brahmani now causing concern in Orissa
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