68 students catch jaundice in 11 days at Rajshahi University

As many as 68 students have been infected with jaundice over the span of 11 days at Rajshahi University.

Around 146 students underwent a test for the disease based on the symptoms between January 15 and January 25, and 86 of them tested positive for the disease, said Md Habibur Rahman, additional chief physician at the university’s medical centre.

The average rate of infection at the university stood at 46 per cent in the span of 11 days, according to the data from the medical centre.

Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and the whites of the eyes that occurs when the body does not process bilirubin as it should.

However, Habibur advised students to take sufficient rest, drink pure water, and eat healthy food following the doctor’s suggestions instead of panicking over the spread of the disease.

“The number of patients infected with the disease has increased comparatively over the last month,” he added.

Dr Md Tobibur Rahman Sk, deputy chief medical officer at the centre, said the number of jaundice infections surged not only at the university but in the entire Rajshahi Division, urging people to be aware of the development in a bid to tackle the disease.

“The medical centre at the university has been asked to prioritise the issue. The students will have to remain alert as well,” said RU’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Md Sultan-Ul-Islam, advising students to drink pure water from tube wells or submersible pumps.