The 19 Girijans undergoing treatment at King George Hospital for suspected cutaneous anthrax have left for their villages in the early hours of Thursday without informing the hospital authorities.
However, treatment for them would continue at the Paderu Area Hospital, Superintendent of KGH M. Madhusudhana Babu has informed. All of them except two are almost cured and treatment is needed for a few more days for the two patients. The PO of ITDA, Paderu and the DMHO have been alerted to bring the patients to the Paderu hospital.
On Wednesday evening, five of the patients sought the doctors’ permission to go to their native villages to participate in the annual Modakondamma Jatara, an important festival of the region and particularly for the Girijans. However, at 4 a.m. on Thursday all the 19 have left the hospital without informing us, Dr. Madhusudhana Babu said.
In a major spurt of cutaneous anthrax after many years in the Agency area, 16 patients from Panasapalli in Hukumpeta mandal and 19 two villages from G. Madugula mandal were admitted in KGH with suspected cutaneous anthrax. Clinically they were diagnosed as suffering with cutaneous anthrax and treatment started and it showed results. Nineteen remained in the hospital while the rest were discharged.
A two-member team of scientists from DRDE, Gwalior visited KGH and collected samples from the patients for tests like ELISA to be done in their laboratory. All the patients have consumed meat of dead animals, reportedly contaminated with anthrax. Several heads of cattle and goats have died suddenly in these villages in the recent past, reportedly due to anthrax.
