Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has placed all 30 districts on high alert following a diarrhoea outbreak that began in Jajpur and has now spread to parts of four other districts.

“Not just the five affected districts, but all 30 have been directed to remain vigilant and take preventive measures to contain the spread,” said health Commissioner-Cum-Secretary Aswathy S after a high-level review meeting held today.

In the past 10 days, over 300 fresh diarrhoea cases have been reported across five districts. The district Health officials have been instructed to keep hospitalised patients under 24-hour observation.

The Health Secretary assured that most new cases are mild. Still, precautionary efforts, especially the disinfection of drinking water sources, will continue across the state. A door-to-door awareness campaign by ASHA and Anganwadi workers is also underway in rural areas and will remain active for the next seven days.

Daily review meetings are being held at the state level to monitor the situation. “We’re in constant touch with a central team, which maintains that the outbreak does not yet qualify as an epidemic,” she added. “However, we are taking no chances and disinfecting all water sources, including in the 25 districts not currently identified as hotspots.”

She dismissed speculation about a cholera outbreak, noting that only 10% of tested samples have confirmed cholera infection.

A 14-member central team has arrived in Odisha to assist with containment efforts. The team visited Jajpur on Sunday to assess the situation on the ground.

So far, seven deaths have been reported from Jajpur district, where the outbreak began on June 9. Eleven cases of cholera have been confirmed in the district. Diarrhoea cases have also emerged in parts of Cuttack, Astaranga in Puri, and Bhuban NAC in Dhenkanal district.