No need to panic over Tripura Para ‘disease’: WHO

There is no reason to panic over the outbreak of disease at Hathazari's Tripura Para, World Health Organisation (WHO) said today after inspection.

Dr Rezaur Rahman, programme manager of WHO in Bangladesh, made the statement after visiting the sick children, reports our local staff correspondent.

Also read: 4 kids die, 19 others fall sick

Tension arose when reports of four children dying and 19 others being hospitalised within six days at Sonai Tripura Para in Chittagong's Hathazari surfaced.

Dr Rezaur visited the victims at Hathazari Upazila Health Complex around 9:30am this morning to deduce whether it was any "mysterious" disease as rumoured.

"There's no reason to panic," he told The Daily Star. "All of the children are infected with viral fever, except one, who we suspect has measles."

Among the three other children from the same family who were admitted to Fouzdarhat Cholera Hospital yesterday, two have viral pneumonia, Rezaur said. "The family admitted all three children as they feared the third child also might catch the disease."

Reflecting on the reason of the outbreak, Rezaul said, seasonal fever is common around this time. "This area is more affected because the natives lack awareness."