Health officials have launched an intensive malaria surveillance drive in Bakdakocha village in Dumaria block of East Singhbhum following the detection of four fresh cases and the death of a 13-year-old boy from a severe form of the infection within 48 hours.
The deceased, Shekhar Mardi, a resident of Bakdakocha, died on Wednesday after contracting Plasmodium falciparum (PF), the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria, commonly associated with cerebral complications.
District surveillance officer Dr Asad said Mardi was admitted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Dumaria on Wednesday after testing positive for PF malaria.
As his condition deteriorated, doctors decided to refer him to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur for advanced treatment. However, he died before he could be shifted to the higher medical facility.
The situation took a concerning turn on Thursday when health officials detected four more malaria cases in the village, including three women and a man.
In response, the health department deployed a 10-member team to conduct mass screening in Bakdakocha and neighbouring villages to identify suspected infections and contain the spread of the disease.
The team comprises a malaria officer, the medical officer-in-charge of Dumaria CHC, seven multi-purpose workers (MPWs) and other health personnel.
Dr Asad said routine malaria screening had been conducted in Dumaria in August and September, but no positive cases were detected during that period.
The health department is now investigating the possible source of the latest infections.
“Our team will examine the circumstances and identify the source of the infection over the next few days,” he said.
East Singhbhum has reported more than 6,500 malaria cases and seven deaths linked to the infection up to mid-October this year.
However, district malaria officer Dr Moiz Ansari said the overall incidence of malaria had declined considerably in recent months, with only two to three cases being reported every month.
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