Over 60 fall ill after community feast in Mayurbhanj village

Balasore: More than 60 people suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting after attending a community feast in Kashipal village in Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday evening.
The feast, which followed a ‘sankirtan' (devotional singing), saw participation of villagers and guests from nearby areas. "We had attended the sankirtan and community feast like every year. But by midnight, many of us started suffering from severe stomach pain and vomiting. It was terrifying to see so many people, including children, falling sick," said Chaitanya Majhi, a villager.
A medical team was sent to the village on Friday to provide treatment to the affected. As many as 14 affected people are admitted to Sirsa community health centre, while many others have recovered after receiving initial treatment. Authorities suspect food contamination as the likely cause of the illness.
Health teams from the district headquarters and Sirsa are closely monitoring the situation and conducting further investigation. Dr Prithvi Barik, who is treating the affected patients, said, "Condition of all the affected individuals has improved. They are responding well to treatment, and their condition is now stable. They are out of danger."