Bantwal: Tragedy struck a poor family in Mithaparari of B Mooda village, when two young lives were lost to rat fever within just seven days.

If Praveen (17) died at a private hospital in Mangalore on August 20, his elder brother Deepak (19) had died on August 16. If Deepak was studying Business management, Praveen was a I PUC student. Their father Seetaram Poojari who too is suffering from fever, is hospitalized. Even Seetaram’s wife Jyothi and daughter Shwetha (15) are      suffering from fever, but it is not yet confirmed if it was rat fever or not.

Local MLA Ramanatha Rai visited the family and consoled the grieving members. The local administration has said that it has initiated precautionary measures against spread of the disease.