Jaundice Outbreak at Odisha’s Navodaya Vidyalaya in Khurda Crosses 50 Cases

Khordha: The jaundice outbreak at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Gurujang in Odisha's Khordha district has intensified, with more than 50 students reportedly affected. Parents have expressed alarm as the

infection spread across the residential school campus.Health and inspection teams were rushed to the school to collect samples. A WATCO team examined the water supply, while medical staff from Khordha conducted parallel investigations. Of the school’s 560 students, over 200 have already returned home. On Monday, 30 students tested positive for jaundice, most from Classes 4 and 12.Confusion persists over the exact number of cases. Some sources reported 30–40 infections, while the school’s health team pegged the figure at over 50. Parents criticised the administration for lapses in preventive measures, demanding accountability.ALSO READ | 'My Son's Condition Is Serious': Thinner Poured, Students Set Ablaze At Odisha School; 4 Injured

Water Contamination is Suspected As The Cause

Although the school management claimed the infection originated outside the campus, the scale of cases among teachers and students has raised questions about internal hygiene practices.The outbreak has been linked to supply of contaminated drinking water to the students. One parent alleged that it has been caused by non-cleaning and purification of the water tanks on the school campus.However, the school authorities claimed that the tanks have been cleaned twice, during summer and winter, in the last one year.ALSO READ | Massive Explosion at Stone Quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal, 2 DeadJNV Khurda Principal Kabita Kar said that all the water samples are collected from the school premises and what we guess the contamination has happened due to outside food which the parents are providing in the holidays.Medical team have reach our school and we are having the testings of the students and we are also awaiting for the final report and the root cause of the jaundice.Water Corporation of Odisha (Watco) general manager Rajendranath Nayak said water samples have been collected from the school and sent for testing. The results are expected within 24 hours. However, Nayak said the quality of water supplied by Watco is monitored round-the-clock. “We suspect that the outbreak could be caused by other reasons like eating food from outside or due the borewell water of the school. We are examining it,” he said.CDMO Khurda Sanjay Ray said that a total 54 number of students affected. Yesterday we tested 20 students blood samples and 5 came out to positive with hepatitis A.