Jamshedpur: A 25-year-old man with symptoms of jaundice died at a private nursing home in the steel city on Tuesday morning amid a National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) probe into the viral infection that has affected more than 350 people.
Deceased Arun Kumar was a resident of Bhuiyandih and made a living by selling ice creams. The NCDC is probing an outbreak in Dhatkidih, which is only 6km away. While Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco is in charge of water supply in Dhatkidih, Bhuiyandih is serviced by Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee.
Family members have also accused Lifeline Nursing Home in Sakchi of medical negligence. Arun's brother Ashok Kumar said a doctor administered three injections without carrying out any blood test.
East Singhbhum civil surgeon Dr Maheshwar Prasad said they needed to investigate if the youth was indeed suffering from jaundice. "If yes, it is the first case in Bhuiyandih. The youth was a vendor and may have visited Dhatkidih that is battling an outbreak," he said.
The NCDC team, comprising senior epidemic intelligence service officers Shuja Qadri and K.V. Anthony Dzeyie, meanwhile, inspected the Jusco water treatment plant and lab in Sakchi. They were accompanied by East Singhbhum district epidemiologist Dr Mohammed Asad.
"The NCDC members spoke to Jusco divisional manager (water management) S. Chakraborty and senior manager Rajyavardhan Singh. They examined the filtration and disinfection process at the central water tower. Thereafter, the team visited the lab and scrutinised water test reports. The members were satisfied with Jusco water operations," said district surveillance officer Dr Sahir Pall.
"The NCDC team also toured Dhatkidih Block A, which is the worst hit and checked water supply. The same matched WHO norms. Jusco officials showed how tapping from main supply line had led to leaks and contamination. Jusco has removed the illegal connections and repaired the pipelines," Dr Pall added.
Jusco's intricate network of pipelines run for over 600km and caters to more than 7 lakh people in company command areas and several thousands in non-company areas. The lab routinely checks quality parameters based on standards set by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.
The central team will conduct house-to-house visit on Wednesday in Dhatkidih, which has seen 350 persons affected by jaundice since the last week of July.
The district health department has zeroed in on Hepatitis E as the viral strain responsible for the outbreak, but is waiting for confirmations from Calcutta and Pune labs.
