Mystery fever kills 24 kids with eight children dying within HOURS of falling ill as outbreak sweeps through India

A MYSTERIOUS illness is rapidly spreading through a northern state of India, killing 24 children — with eight kids perishing within hours of falling ill. Health officials in Haryana have failed to identify the cause of killer fever which begins with joint pains, headaches, dehydration and nausea. GettyChildren with fever undergoing treatment at a hospital[/caption] GettyAn investigation is underway to establish what is causing the fever[/caption] Three children, aged seven, three months and a baby that is nine days old, died on Friday at various hospitals in Palwal, a district in Haryana. This takes the fever death toll to 24, News 18 reported. One of the dead children’s parents told local media the girl was brought to hospital after complaining of fever. She died the following morning. Another said their son had similar symptoms and died the next day as well.  But health bosses failed to identify the mysterious disease or its cause after collecting blood samples from dead children.  A health official said: “The samples have been collected to identify the causes behind the mysterious fever.” Most read in The Sun 'best present' Stacey Solomon gives birth to fourth child on her birthday CYBER TERROR Google warns BILLIONS of passwords have been hacked – check your accounts now TAKE ACCOUNT Thousands on child benefit and tax credits urged to act NOW or miss payments LIVING IN FEAR Inside 'slum' estate where family offered £5,000 to anyone who'd swap homes HEIR THIS Meghan's 'peace offering' to Kate Middleton after flower girl dress row revealed TAT-NEW Noughties group tATu look unrecognisable as they reunite 20yrs after topping charts In August, at least 50 people, mostly children, died from a mystery fever in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. 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 it as a severe form of dengue. GettyAt least 50 people, mostly children, have died from fever in Uttar Pradesh in August[/caption] GettyPhysicians believe the fever could have links to dengue which is common in Uttar Pradesh[/caption] All of the patients have been tested for coronavirus, and no link has been found between the two illnesses so far. 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. As the country slowly recovers from a deadly second wave of coronavirus, the deaths in Uttar Pradesh have provoked panic among hospital doctors. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.