A high-level health team, led by Ashok Paikray, additional director of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), visited Nuadihi village in the Hemgir block of Sundargarh district on Monday. This visit came after two individuals died in what is suspected to be a case of food poisoning, with two additional fatalities reported in nearby villages in Jharsuguda district.
The team included Sundargarh district collector Subhankar Mohapatra, CDMO Suresh Chandra Mohanty, and other district health officials to assess the situation. Food safety officials collected samples of cooking oil, grocery items, and fish from the home where a post-funeral feast was held, as well as from a local store. These samples were sent to the State Food Testing Laboratory for analysis.
On Monday, two patients who were being treated at home were transferred to Hemgir CHC. According to sources, residents of Nuadihi and nearby villages in Jharsuguda attended a post-funeral feast on Thursday, and from Friday onwards, many began to experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. A total of 54 individuals across the two districts were affected, including 47 from Nuadihi.
Health teams arrived in the village on Saturday and admitted 28 patients to Hemgir CHC, six of whom were later moved to the Sundargarh district headquarters hospital (DHH) due to worsening conditions. Officials reported that most patients are now stable, with twelve receiving treatment at Hemgir CHC and five at Sundargarh DHH, while three of the four patients admitted to Jharsuguda DHH have been discharged.
During their visit, officials spoke with villagers and advised against using pond water amid contamination concerns. The collector instructed food safety officials and other departments to expedite their actions and submit reports. He also announced plans to renovate village ponds using CSR and DMF funds.
Health teams disinfected wells on Sunday and collected water and rectal swab samples for bacteriological testing. A separate team from Jharsuguda IDSP also visited the affected villages to conduct field assessments and awareness activities.
