As Covid ebbs, 70 die of mystery fever in western UP, Firozabad worst hit

Firozabad has been the worst hit district, with nearly 50 casualties. It has also gripped Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Etawah and Kasganj in the past few days.

Uttar Pradesh is grappling with the outbreak of a mystery fever in a few western districts at a time the state has witnessed a sharp decline in Covid-19 cases.

The disease -- characterised by high fever, sudden drop in blood platelet count and, in some cases, severe dehydration -- has so far claimed 70 lives, mostly children.

Firozabad has been the worst hit district, with nearly 50 casualties. It has also gripped Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Etawah and Kasganj in the past few days.

On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered setting up a special team to investigate the outbreak and suggest immediate steps to contain its spread in Firozabad and adjoining areas. In a review meeting on Tuesday, the CM directed the special team to camp in Firoz­abad and expedite relief measures, said UP additional chief secretary Navneet Sehgal.

“Not only children, but adults have also taken ill in Firozabad. The CM has asked the health department to shift patients to the medical college and increase the number of beds, if necessary. The gover­n­ment will also increase the number of resident doctors and paramedical staff to contain the spread,” he added.

According to unconfirmed reports, the infection was identified as scrub typhus after a health department team collected samples from a village in Mathura. An official word is, however, awaited.

T Jacob John, a former director at the ICMR’s Centre of Advanced Research in Virology, said scrub typhus has no correlation with Covid.