At least seven children have lost their lives due to diphtheria in Rajasthan’s Deeg district in the last 29 days, an official said on Monday.

The victims were aged between three to seven years and were residents of the Nagar, Kaman, and Pahadi areas of the Deeg district.

The medical department has issued a high alert in the entire district.

In the villages of the district where children died of diphtheria, the team of WHO and Health Department Jaipur has also reached the area and started vaccination. Samples of suspected children are being collected.

Deeg CMHO Vijay Singhal said that on September 14, a child Sumit (7) died of diphtheria in the Kaman area. After this, the medical department started examining children in Kaman and surrounding areas. Between September 14 and October 12, one Sumit (7), Akreen (5), Sumit (6), Monish (3), Ashifa (6), Sheehan (5) and Alfaz (3) died of diphtheria in the district.

Officials said that around 24 children have tested positive in the district and they are undergoing medical treatment.

“This is a disease which becomes common when people do not come to get the vaccine despite it being administered free by the government. This disease is caused by infection of Corynebacterium bacteria. The bacteria first damages the throat. A person may lose his life in the absence of proper treatment. Aiming to prevent this disease, vaccination is done every month in every village by going door to door, but some people do not get their children vaccinated,” said CMHO Dr. Mansingh.

Diphtheria disease is commonly known as Galghontu disease. Children up to 10 years of age usually get infected by this disease. This disease is caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium Diphtheria. There is a possibility of the bacteria spreading poison in the body and it can even lead to death.

The most prominent symptoms of Diphtheria disease are seen in the beginning in the form of cold, cough and fever. If children do not get timely treatment for this disease, a white membrane starts forming near the windpipe. This membrane grows and presses the windpipe, due to which the child starts having trouble breathing and starts suffocating and sometimes it can even lead to death.