Bhubaneswar, Apr 30 (IANS): An outbreak of measles has killed four children and affected over 80 people - mostly young ones aged below five - in Odisha's Rayagada district in the past week, officials said Monday.

The first case of the contagious viral disease was detected April 23 in a hilly village, located 90 km from the district headquarters of Rayagada. Later, it spread to three more nearby villages, chief district medical officer K.V.S. Chowdhury told IANS.

"Currently at least 84 people, mostly children below the age of five, are undergoing treatment. The condition of about 10 is critical," he said. The villages affected by the disease include Salapash, Katraguda and Railighati.

One needs to walk several kilometres to reach to these patients as there is no motorable road to access these villages.

The villagers are mostly tribal and they don't get their children vaccinated. The superstitious residents also perform religious rites instead of seeking medical help, he added.

The disease which mostly infects children starts with fever. Subsequently a patient also gets cough, running nose, blurred vision and body rashes.