Mizoram govt hosp confirms cholera outbreak that killed 6; village declared containment zone

AIzawl: Zoram Medical College and infirmary (ZMC&H) in Mizoram has confirmed that cholera-triggered stomach flu caused the deaths of sextuplet people in Lawngtlai and Siaha districts nigh the Indo-Myanmar edge, prompting authorities to invoke the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, on November 12.Samples from the patients and water from the village’s traditional water source were sent to ZMC&H in Falkawn, near Aizawl, for laboratory testing.“Samples from the patients and water from Kakichhuah village’s traditional water sources were tested at Zoram Medical College & Hospital (ZMC&H) for laboratory testing, the laboratory confirmed that the outbreak of suspected gastroenteritis was caused by cholera,” ZMC&H registrar Zorinsangi Varte said.Lawngtlai district deputy commissioner (DC) Donny Lalruatsanga, after consulting the district Chief Medical Officer (CMO), ordered closure of the entry point between Salachhuah in Myanmar and Kakichhuah village for the next two months.Lalruatsanga said that the outbreak has been contained and unnecessary travel is being discouraged for public safety. “Three refugees and three local residents from Lawngtlai and Siaha districts have died, and the situation is deeply concerning. I appreciate the continued efforts being made by the medical team and the locals to prevent the further spread of the disease,” Lalruatsanga added.Varte told HT that the situation was under control and more stringent precautionary measures and medical relief works were undertaken by the district administrations of Lawngtlai and Siaha districts.An official statement by the Mizoram government said that a medical team has been stationed at Kakichhuah village since November 11. A total of 90 people have been examined, of whom 84 have shown symptoms. Most cases were reported from households lacking proper water sources.Currently, four people are undergoing treatment.According to the Mizoram government’s official statement, Kakichhuah village has been declared a containment area for two months; movement of people in and out of the village, except for medical teams, election duty officials, and those on emergency duties, is banned.Kakichhuah, one of Mizoram’s remotest villages, lies about 142 kilometres from Lawngtlai town at the southernmost tip of the state, bordering Myanmar. The village, with around 130 households, is mostly inhabited by members of the Khumi community, refugees originally from Myanmar’s southern Chin and Rakhine states. All the deceased were from this community, officials said.