Acid fly infection scare in north Bengal

Mainly children and people with sensitive skin getting infected by the insect.

The infection first appeared in Sikkim and has since been around, officials said. About 100 students of North Bengal University (NBU), Siliguri, are now affected by the virus. The fear and panic has gripped students so much that many left hostels to head back to their home.

Darjeeling District Magistrate S Ponnambalam said, “We have issued an advisory on preventive measures such as wearing full sleeve clothes, avoiding going outdoors in the evening, using mosquito nets, using dim light inside houses. In case of infection, people should contact medical help immediately.”

Though there are no recorded cases of people getting infected, help is being given to those in need, he added.

Darjeeling district hospital superintendent said, “It is only a skin condition. There are 3-4 cases in Darjeeling as of now and none of them requires hospital admission. Nothing majorly threatening would happen in this condition and people need to stay calm and not panic. In fact, we are not sure that the 3-4 patients who turned up happened to be attacked by the insect. Still, I will ask for a detailed clarification from my seniors.” The District Magistrate said, “Our goal right now is to control the infection and trace the breeding places. I request people not to panic.”