Mystery illness killing dozens of kids who wake up with hellish fevers as docs scramble to find cure

A MYSTERIOUS illness is rapidly spreading through a northern state of India, killing dozens of children as well as adults. As the country slowly recovers from a deadly second wave of coronavirus, the deaths in Uttar Pradesh have provoked panic among hospital doctors. GettyAt least 50 people, mostly children, have died from fever in Uttar Pradesh in the past week[/caption] GettyPhysicians believe the fever could have links to dengue which is common in Uttar Pradesh[/caption] In the past week, at least 50 people – mostly children – have died of the fever, and several hundred have been admitted to hospital. Many of them complained of joint pains, headaches, dehydration and nausea. In some cases, the patients also suffer from declining platelets, a crucial part of the circulation system that allows blood to clot. Physicians in a few of the affected districts – Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Etah, Kasganj and Firozabad – believe dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, could be the main cause of deaths. They say the symptom of declining platelets characterises as a severe form of dengue. All of the patients have been tested for coronavirus, and no link has been found between the two illnesses so far. MYSTERY ILLNESS The mystery illness is putting a particular strain on hospitals in the city of Firozabad. Neeta Kulshrestha, the most senior health official of Firozabad district, said: “The patients, especially children, in hospitals are dying very quickly”. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath pledged to help families of people with the disease. “The dedicated COVID-19 ward at the district hospital of Firozabad is reserved for patients suffering from this fever,” he said. The country has already been overwhelmed by Covid-19, particularly by the Delta variant which spread like wildfire with nearly 440,000 deaths. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection, found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Most read in News FAKING IT Diana & Dodi’s romance was ‘FAKED and couple slept in separate bedrooms’ FIEND'S CONFESSION Levi Bellfield confesses to being in area on day Russells were murdered LILIBET MEET…LILIBET Meghan and Harry make audacious bid for UK summit with the Queen CRASH HORROR Wing walker & pilot scream for help as they are rescued from plane crash PLUNGE CHARGE Man, 27, charged over death plunge of newlywed bride, 31 LOCH AT THAT! Loch Ness Monster 'spotted on sonar' after being seen three times this summer Transmitted by female mosquitoes, dengue is mainly a tropical disease and has been circulating in India for hundreds of years. While many infections produce only mild illness, cases can develop potentially lethal complications. According to the World Health Organisation, in its most severe form, there is no specific treatment. Getty - ContributorDengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection, where in its most severe form, there is no specific treatment[/caption]