The toll due to the deadly Japanese Encephalitis virus climbed to 70 with three more deaths at the Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) on Sunday.
Swati Hantal (2) from Khairput, Rita Madkami (4) from Kambed village under Kurukonda block and Birendra Kabasi (5) from Dariguda village succumbed to the vector-borne disease at the DHH on Sunday morning. On Saturday, three children
had died in the disease while undergoing treatment at the DHH.
Meanwhile, a six-member Central doctors’ team had visited the affected areas in the district to review the situation there.
The team examined the cause of the spread of the vector-borne disease and how to contain the JE fever.
Further, a State Government-appointed Officer of Special Duty (OSD) is also camping in the tribals-dominated district to streamline the measures among the various departments to check the spread of the virus.