- Four children died mysteriously in Shivpuri within 10 days.
- Deaths followed a picnic near Sindh River on August 16.
- Health department investigating; all medical tests came back negative.
Naidunia Correspondent Shivpuri | Four children, including three brothers from the same family, died of a mysterious illness within 10 days in Saispura in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. The children's health began deteriorating after celebrating a picnic with friends on the banks of the Sindh River on August 16.
Before the deaths, four deceased children showed symptoms - high fever, unbearable stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea and then their organs gradually stopped functioning.
Health Department Swings Into Action
After the matter escalated, a health department team visited the victim's family's home on Tuesday and launched a survey of the entire area. Department officials were also surprised, as all the children's test results came back negative. Currently, the health department has placed the family under observation and has instructed them to immediately report any fever or stomach pain to the department.
First Victim Developed Fever On August 18
On August 16, Tanveer Khan, a resident of Saispura, had his elder son Tahir (14) go to bathe and party at the Sindh River at Gora Tila with his friends. He developed fever on August 18. Retired paediatrician Dr Nisar Khan gave him medicine and advised him to get admitted to the district hospital.
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On August 20, the fever returned and at 9.30 pm, vomiting and diarrhoea began. The family took him to the district hospital, where he died on August 21 at midnight. Tanveer's sister Tabassum's son Ayaz (19), a resident of Hammal Mohalla, fell ill on August 20. He was treated for three days at Sukhdev Hospital, but when he did not get relief, he was referred to Gwalior. He died in Gwalior on August 21. Tahir's two younger brothers also developed fever and died on the 31st.
On August 26-27, Tanveer's two younger sons, Tarukh alias Pappu (11) and Tasif alias Chintu (9), developed a fever. Both were admitted to the district hospital. On August 31, Tarukh was referred to Shivpuri Medical College, where he died the same day. Tasif was also referred that same day, and his family sent him to Gwalior.
Tasif's uncle, Bhai Mian, said that all his tests in Gwalior, including those for malaria, dengue, and COVID, came back negative. He also died during treatment on the night of August 31.
The CMHO said that case sheets of the children are being obtained from the District Hospital, Sukhdev Hospital, Shivpuri Medical College, and Gwalior Medical College to study symptoms and treatment protocols. A larva survey was conducted in the area, and no dengue larvae were found.
The children did not show any symptoms of shortness of breath, so the possibility of COVID is low. If this were a viral or bacterial outbreak, other people in the neighbourhood would also have fallen ill, but there is no such trend.