Odisha jaundice outbreak: Contaminated water blamed for JNV infections
A jaundice outbreak at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Odisha’s Khordha district has affected numerous students, with contaminated water identified as the primary cause.
Over 65 cases were reported by early January 2026 at the Gurujanga JNV, including 51 active ones at the peak, linked to orofecal contamination in school water supply points tested by the Water Corporation of Odisha. Health officials, including Director of Public Health Dr. Nilkantha Mishra, confirmed water used for drinking and food preparation as the vector, prompting campus-wide sanitation. The school shut until January 14 for decontamination, student dispersal, and monitoring.
Teams from public health and water departments collected samples from 41 storage tanks and 12 locations, detecting Hepatitis A in some blood tests. No new cases were reported by January 9-10, with ongoing surveillance and advice for symptom monitoring like yellowing eyes and fatigue. Officials urged safe water use and medical care over traditional remedies seen in related village outbreaks.
Similar incidents occurred in Jagatsinghpur (50+ cases in August 2025) and Puri’s Nuadokanda village (January 2026), all blaming impure tubewell water. These highlight recurring risks in Odisha’s rural and institutional settings from inadequate water testing.
