According to Nawaraj Subba, chief of the Morang District Public Health Office (DPHO), 31 new cases of jaundice were reported by the Biratnagar-based health institutions on Wednesday against 55 cases reported on Tuesday. Subba added that 1,473 people have received treatment for jaundice in the last three weeks.

Meanwhile, the DPHO is running out of chlorine tablets which are used to purify water. Subba said that there is a demand for 100,000 tablets on a daily basis, but the office has only 50,000 tablets at present. He said that they have informed the Health Ministry of the situation.

The outbreak of jaundice in Biratnagar and its adjoining areas has killed 10 people in past over three weeks and affected scores of people.

A team, including specialists from the World Health Organisation, has also reached the jaundice affected areas to lend assistance. The team will remain in the disease-hit areas for some days and assist in the treatment and disease control.