Bihar: Several students fall ill during filariasis drive in Patna

Several school students fell ill during a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign aimed at eliminating lymphatic filariasis in Bihar’s Patna district on Wednesday, prompting swift intervention by health authorities.

The incident occurred at a primary school in Ganpat Rai Tola in the Athmalgola area, where students were administered preventive medication as part of the state-wide anti-filariasis drive. Shortly after consuming the medicine, a number of children complained of discomfort and mild symptoms, triggering concern among teachers and health workers.

According to health department officials, the students were given Albendazole tablets under the MDA programme. Authorities indicated that the reported illness appeared to be a temporary side effect of the medication.

“Several children fell ill at the primary school where our MDA campaign was underway. They are now safe and have no complications,” the medical officer at the Athmalgola Community Health Centre (CHC) told reporters.

A Quick Response Team (QRT) and an ambulance were immediately dispatched to the school. The affected students were taken to a nearby hospital for medical observation and treatment. Officials later confirmed that all the children were stable and had responded well to care.

The health department emphasised that the campaign has been ongoing for several days across Bihar without any major adverse incidents. “The medicine is being administered statewide, and no significant issues have been reported elsewhere,” the medical officer said.

The MDA campaign is part of a broader public health initiative to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, a parasitic disease caused by thread-like worms and transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The preventive drugs are distributed periodically to at-risk populations to break the cycle of transmission.

Authorities said monitoring is continuing in the area to ensure the safety and confidence of parents and students participating in the programme.

With PTI inputs