Friday, January 9, 2026
News

"Finding out how it spread in school": Odisha Public Health Director on Jaundice outbreak at JNV Khordha

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) | January 7, 2026 10:19:21 PM IST
Amid rising jaundice infections among students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Khordha district, Odisha's Public Health Director Dr. Nilakantha Mishra, on Wednesday, said health authorities are actively investigating the situation and have stepped up preventive measures to contain the spread.

"Our teams are visiting schools and doing inspections. We are testing and finding out how it spread in school, and preventive measures are being taken," Dr Mishra told ANI on Wednesday, as concerns grew following multiple positive cases reported from the residential school.

State Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday assured the public that the health crisis at a residential school in Khurda is stabilising, with dozens of affected students currently recovering after a sudden rise in jaundice cases. Following reports of a jaundice outbreak at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Gurujang, the central team arrived to identify the source of infection and ensure student safety on campus.

Health authorities on Tuesday inspected and reviewed the suspected jaundice outbreak at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) located in Gurujanga village of Khordha district, after a rise in cases among students raised concerns.

Senior officials, including Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Sanjay Roy and District Public Health Officer Dr Ranjan Mitra, visited the campus to assess the situation and oversee preventive measures after 54 students' blood samples tested positive for jaundice as of January 6, 2026.

While the kitchen and overall cleanliness were found satisfactory, officials issued additional guidelines for food handlers. "We have given them some guidelines to follow, such as requiring that food handlers and cooks wear separate slippers. They will not wear their house slippers inside. They will wear gloves, caps, masks, and aprons while cooking and serving food," Mitra said, adding that the source of infection is still under investigation and could be linked to water, food, or both. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Karnataka Assembly to hold two-day speci...
'No protest from TMC for attack on migra...
BJP leaders tear into Opposition for ski...
Odisha govt set to extend construction b...
Yellow water from tube wells triggers pr...
Delhi court sends 8 to judicial custody ...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
IOA concludes Annual General Meetin... 
TSMC December 2025 revenue rises 20... 
"We've got a balanced squad with ex... 
Somnath Swabhiman Parv echoes with ... 
NGT directs UPPCB to enforce enviro... 
NSG is a world-class, zero-error fo... 
WPL: RCB wins toss, otps to field i... 
Shubman Gill sweats it out in nets ...