The State this year is seeing a spurt in cases of enteric diseases, especially gastroenteritis (GE), even before peak summer. Among the factors contributing to it, doctors say, is several feasts and public programmes organised by politicians ahead of polls, besides village fairs and weddings.
According to the State Health and Family Welfare Department’s status report on communicable diseases in Karnataka, a total of 24,069 GE cases have been reported from January till February-end this year.
Enteric illnesses are frequently characterised by diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, and other symptoms. They can be transmitted via ingestion of contaminated food or water, exposure to infected vomit or faeces, direct or indirect contact with infected persons or animals, or contaminated objects.
Doctors said this is a major concern as the State is already in the grip of viral fever and vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
Added to this is the increasing number of typhoid and viral hepatitis cases. As many as 15,013 typhoid cases and 976 viral hepatitis cases have been reported across the State in the last two months.
Eight cases and three deaths of cholera have been reported from Shivamogga.
State National Health Mission (NHM) Programme Manager B.G. Prakash told The Hindu that there has not been an outbreak in any district so far. “Although the number of enteric illness cases are increasing by the day, the situation is not alarming as no deaths have been reported. While this is the usual trend every year, the only difference is that the spurt has been reported at the onset of summer this time,” Dr. Prakash said.
He said Bengaluru division has recorded the highest number of GE cases both in January (7,607) and February (7,202), followed by Kalaburagi division with 2,092 cases in January and 2,855 in February.
In Bengaluru, the State-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital on Old Madras Road has been getting at least 10 cases of acute gastroenteritis cases a day of which nearly six require admission. Doctors in Victoria and K.C. General hospitals are also seeing an increasing number of water-borne diseases.
Bengaluru District Surgeon Ansar Ahmed, who is also the Medical Superintendent of Epidemic Disease Hospital, said most of the cases are from low-lying slums. “Although no samples have tested positive for cholera, we have geared up to deal with an increasing number of acute gastroenteritis cases. Food poisoning is also a concern in this season owing to contamination of food, with salmonella, shigella, E-coli, rota virus, and entamoeba histolytica,” he said.
“In cases of acute gastroenteritis, if patients are not given adequate fluids and rehydrated immediately, there are chances of renal failure,” the doctor said.
The best way to keep the diseases under check is to consume freshly cooked food and boiled and cooled water. People should be careful about water contamination as sewage getting mixed with drinking water is common during rain, the doctor added.
