Residents of Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon are in state of panic as five members of a family have died of a mysterious virus over the past 15 days.
The deaths have all taken place in the village of Morichpara Vandardaha in Baliadangi upazila.
Local UP Chairman Samar Kumar Chattarjee confirmed the deaths, saying: “Many people have already been affected by the disease and they are not recovering after being treated in Thakurgaon's hospitals.
“The infected individuals were reportedly suffering from muscle pain and a burning sensation in their bodies. Many of the infected, including those of who died, were also seen losing grasp of reality and running around naked in public,” he added.
According to locals, Abu Taher, a 65-year-old man with heart problems, died on February 9. Due to his medical history, neither the family nor anyone else suspect anything out of the ordinary.
On February 20, Habibur Rahman, a 35-year-old married to Mariam, Taher’s daughter, died at 9am at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. When his family learned of his death, Hosne Ara Begum – Habibur’s mother-in-law – died of cardiac arrest.
Before the pall of grief could be lifted from the family, Yusuf and Mehedi – Abu Taher’s two sons – fell ill on Sunday morning, and were taken to the same hospital where their brother-in-law died.
But Yusuf died on the way to the hospital. And as night fell, Mehedi died too while under medical supervision. Yusuf’s wife Kohinur and their daughter are also hospitalized at Baliadanga Upazila Health Complex.
Marium, with her two children, is torn between mourning her family and worry whether they are going to be the next to fall to the mysterious illness.
Masud Karim, a local and assistant teacher of Lahiri Multipurpose High School, said: “Many of the villagers, including himself, have fled the village after attending Yusuf's namaz-e-janaza.”
Selina Akhter, the head teacher of the school, said: “Student attendance at the school has alarmingly plummeted because people are terrified of mysterious illnesses.”
Baliadangi police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mosabberul Haq said: “Before dying, Taher’s youngest son, Mehedi, was sent to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital in critical condition. Physicians there collected Mehedi’s blood sample and were able to identify that the disease is a virus that affects the brain.”
Thakurgaon Civil Surgeon Dr AKM Khairul Kabir said that the authorities are working to identify the diseases and there is nothing to worry about. He also said that the affected areas are being closely monitored.
Locals fear that Habibur, who returned six months ago after spending six years in Dubai, may have carried the virus.
Baliadangi police said they have contacted Rangpur Medical College Hospital and have learned that the cause is a virus that affects the brain.
Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner Dr Kamruzzaman Selim said he has advised the UNOs and district civil surgeon to take measures. He also said that specialists in Dhaka have been informed of the development, and they will arrive on Tuesday for firsthand examinations.
