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Mysterious disease claims
seven lives in Bengal

Doctors in Siliguri in West Bengal have been baffled by a mysterious killer disease, which has claimed seven lives so far.

Five persons, including a local Congress leader Rabin Pyne, died of the disease, which had earlier been diagnosed as encephalitis by a local physician, creating panic among the residents of the city.

Two more deaths were reported from the Siliguri Hospital and North Bengal Medical College on Thursday night.

A team of four experts who air-dashed to the city from Calcutta on February 5 following an outbreak of the disease have not yet been able to suggest any medicine or preventive measures.

The doctors are expected to arrive at a decision after examining the results of the tests on serum samples, which have been sent to Calcutta, team leader Dr Ajay Mukherjee said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development and the legislator from Siliguri Ashok Bhattacharya is in the city, accompanied by the director of medical education, to take stock of the situation.

Siliguri Mayor Bikash Ghose said that measures were being taken to remove 200 cattle sheds from the city. A task force headed by the Deputy Chief Medical officer has been formed to monitor the cleanliness drive initiated by the municipal corporation on a war footing.

In the North Bengal Medical College, a special team of doctors is examining each and every patient who is being admitted with similar symptoms, college sources said.

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