Panic in Nagaland village for unknown disease claims 3 child lives

Kohima: An undiagnosed disease that killed three children in a span of a week at Chessore, a remote village under Tuensang district, prompting villagers to panic this may be the start of an outbreak as more children were reported to be affected with similar symptoms.

According to a report received today the illness, with symptoms of vomiting, fever and diarrhea struck the children coinciding with the sudden change of weather, inhabitants of Chessore village which has around 580 families.

The three children who succumbed to the undiagnosed disease include a four-year old male student studying at a mission school, while the other two, including a girl were below two-year old.

Chessore town, which adjoins the village, has a Primary Health Centre (PHC) with two staff nurses, a vaccinator besides others. However, without a qualified doctor and proper infrastructure, it would be impossible to detect the disease that is affecting the children.

The outbreak of the disease last year (2016) at Chessore also coincided with the near epidemic from an unknown disease at Naga inhabited villages in Myanmar, which killed more than 30 children. During that time, a medical team had attended to at least 150 affected villagers.

While the nature of the disease can only be confirmed by a medical professional, Fr Francis of St Christopher School of Chessore observed that this year's incidences may not be an outbreak but an outcome of general deficiency or because the immune systems of the children were weak because they did not receive any immunization.

The lack of awareness or a casual approach to illness stalking people in the rural is one considered reason why there are more casualties. However, this is further compounded by the absence of doctors and the lack of proper medical facility to treat the patients.

He revealed that the Primary Health Center at Chessore town has been running without a doctor for the last two years. "The doctor, who was posted at Chessore PHC, has gone on study leave and there has been no temporary replacement in his place." Road communication is another predicament.

The nearest subdivision from where Chessore inhabitants get their provisions is Aghunato under Zunheboto district, though only a distance of around 24 kilometers, the road becomes un-motorable during monsoon. According to the 2011 census, Chessore village had 680 number children aged between 0 to 6 years, which made up 23.60 per cent of total population of village.