Sambalpur: The death toll in jaundice in the town has gone up to three after a student of Gangadhar Meher University died of the liver disease this week.

The Plus Three science student, Alif Kumar Sahu, 21, of Turunga village of Bargarh district was staying in a student mess near the university. He was admitted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (Vimsar), Burla on April 25.

Jahir Ahmad, 57, of Pensainpada, who died on April 2, was the first victim of jaundice in the town. On April 14, Saswati Mishra, 14, a student, died of the same disease at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

Despite claims made by the district administration, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation and the public health department that efforts were on to control the disease, the number of jaundice affected patients in the town has crossed 100.

As many as 107 jaundice cases have been detected within the past two months. On March 9, seven such cases were detected from Pensionpada and Mayabagicha in the town. Since then, the disease has reportedly been spreading to various parts of the town.

At present, the jaundice cases are being reported from Mudipada, Sakhipada, Pradhanpada, Cheruapada, Mayabagicha and Mandhalia.

The administration, along with the help of the civic body and the department, has started cleaning drains, through which most of the water pipelines pass.

When the number of such cases had crossed more than 60 in a month, the corporation's health department raided roadside eateries and destroyed stale foods. They also banned the sale of water related food such as golegapa, ice cream, sugarcane juice and so on for some time.

The department's additional district medical officer Dr Panchanan Nayak said: "The hepatitis virus has a long incubation period. If one gets infected today, it will take about a month for the patients to develop the physical symptoms."

Those, who had taken contaminated food and water a few weeks ago, may show positive results for jaundice now, he said.

Residents are apprehensive of a recurrence of 2014 epidemic, in which more than 30 people had died of jaundice and hundreds got affected. In May 2014, chief minister Naveen Patnaik visited Sambalpur and reviewed the epidemic situation.

At that time, he had announced a special grant of Rs 200 crore to Sambalpur for replacement of the old pipelines.