A team of Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Tuesday morning visited Songaon village in Baliadangi upazila under Thakurgaon where two members of a family died of ‘unidentified disease’ and three others fell sick.

IEDCR member medical officer Dr Omar Kaium, FTPB Fellow Dr Kazi Karim Tahmina, medical technologist Kazi Masum and Monir Uddin visited the area at 9am while Thakurgaon Civil Surgeon Md Mahfuzur Rahman Sarker and Baliadangi Upazila Health and Family Planning officer Dr Abul Kashem were present.

They collected blood samples for tests from the patients who are now undergoing treatment at Thakurgaon Modern Sadar Hospital.

Earlier on Friday night Mina Begum, 35, wife of Hafizul Islam fell sick suddenly and died in a few minutes while Poshina Begum, wife of Hafizul’s elder brother Hazirul, fell sick on Saturday night and died at home on Sunday night.

Later, Hafizul’s daughter Tanzina Akhter, mother Hazera Begum, 34, and Aleya Akhter, 32, fell sick and were admitted to hospital.

About these patients of the same family, Civil Surgeon said “They are doing well now and hope they will go home on Tuesday.”

Health department kept the village under surveillance and also suggested the people not be panicked over the incident, he added.

Earlier in 2019, five members of family died from Nipah Virus in the same upazila.