Schools shut after 5 died of unknown disease in Thakurgaon

The authorities kept shut two educational institutes for today following death of five members of a family by unknown disease in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon.

A total of five members of a family died of unknown disease within 20 days from February 9 while the other five members of the family are now undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

The affected people are initially feeling sick and then becoming weaken gradually and they suffering from pain in body. At one stage, they become senseless and meet the end of life, Firoz Zaman, family planning officer at Baliadangi upazila health told The Daily Star.

“We are not confirmed about the cause of the death, but we think the people might be affected by encephalitis (inflammation of brain tissue),” he said.

A team of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) already reached the Bhandardaha village this afternoon to investigate the matter, our Thakurgaon correspondent reports from the spot.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Masudur Rahman told reporters that preventive measures have already been taken in and around the area to check spreading the disease.

As part of the measures, the authorities closed Bhandardaha Government Primary School and Bhandardaha High School for today, the UNO said.

The schools will be reopened from tomorrow after consulting the overall situation with the IEDCR team.

A control room has been set up at the upazila health complex to provide uninterrupted treatment to the people in the area. Besides, around 200 masks have been distributed among the villagers to keep the local people away from the epidemic of the disease.