Viral infection behind recent prisoner deaths at Jhumka Jail
Initial screenings revealed that approximately 100 inmates were suffering from high fever. Further testing identified two cases of malaria and one case of dengue fever among the patients.
KATHMANDU: Over the past 15 days, four prisoners have died at Jhumka Prison in Sunsari following an outbreak of a viral infection, confirmed by a medical team from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) after on-site examinations.
On the evening of Bhadra 18, nearly 100 inmates suddenly fell ill with symptoms including high fever, body aches, nasal congestion, and difficulty breathing.
A nine-member medical team was promptly dispatched to the prison for assessment.
Initial screenings revealed that approximately 100 inmates were suffering from high fever.
Further testing identified two cases of malaria and one case of dengue fever among the patients.
Twelve critically ill prisoners were immediately admitted to the emergency ward of the BPKIHS hospital in Dharan that same night.
An additional five patients were transferred the following day.
Hospital officials report that the condition of all admitted inmates is currently stable.
According to Dr. Abheejit Kumar, spokesperson for BPKIHS, the medical team conducted health screenings for 353 of the prison’s 1,793 inmates during the on-site visit.
Out of those tested, about 100 showed high fever symptoms. Malaria testing of 35 individuals confirmed two positive cases.
“The health team admitted 12 severely ill prisoners to the emergency unit on the night of the outbreak and provided immediate treatment,” Dr. Kumar stated. “Five more patients were admitted on Thursday, and all are now reported to be in stable condition.”
The four deceased inmates include 28-year-old Bikash Rai from Bhojpur, 48-year-old Ramdev Uraw from Gadhi-6, Sunsari, 24-year-old Sagar Rai from Dharan-10, and 46-year-old Jaleshwar Yadav from Rajbiraj-8, Saptari.
Professor Dr. Rabin Maskey, head of the Medicine Department at BPKIHS, confirmed that the recent deaths were caused by a surge in viral infections.
He urged the general public to adopt necessary health precautions to prevent further spread.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s Disaster Relief Team has initiated sample collection from both the prison and hospital to conduct further laboratory tests.
