The death toll due to viral fever and dengue outbreak in this western Uttar Pradesh district climbed to 51 on Saturday as an 11-year-old girl succumbed to the disease, even as central and state officials reviewed the situation.
Uttar Pradesh Government officials, including Principal Secretary (Medical Education) Alok Kumar, visited the government medical college here as well as some affected areas and inquired about the condition of patients.
An 11 year-old-girl died during treatment late in the evening, acting CMS of the college Alok Kumar Sharma said.
As many as 179 new patients were admitted to different wards as well as the new ward which became operational on Saturday, while 54 were discharged following recovery. Till now, a total of 433 patients have been admitted to the medical college hospital, Sharma said.
Known for bangles and glasswork, Firozabad is around 50 km from Agra and 320 km from state capital Lucknow.
The district has been battling an outbreak of dengue and deadly viral fever for the past two weeks, with most of the victims being children.
Some similar cases have also been found in neighbouring Mathura, Agra and Mainpuri, according to officials. Meanwhile, district authorities have launched a drive to check mosquito breeding.
District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh issued instructions to officials of the municipal corporation and the health department to drain out stagnant water. Acting on the order, the municipal corporation staff began a door-to-door survey on Saturday to check for mosquitoes breeding.