Following the hepatitis A outbreak in Taliparamba municipality, the Health department has stepped up preventive measures against the disease.
Two persons from Hidayat Nagar in the municipality had succumbed to the illness on Tuesday. They were receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode.
The outbreak is traced back to a shopping complex on Court Road where the first cases were reported in a textile shop, a tuition centre, and among employees at a nearby juice shop. The health department later detected E. coli bacteria, indicating the presence of faecal contamination, in the well supplying water to the area.
Subsequently, other children attending the tuition centre and residents in their households began showing symptoms of the disease. There has also been a noted transmission of the illness among families connected to other patients who contracted it from the shopping complex.
To prevent hepatitis A, the Health department advises the following measures: drink only boiled water and use it for preparing beverages like juice; regularly chlorinate wells and other drinking water sources; wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet; and maintain a clean and disinfected toilet environment. Those confirmed with hepatitis A should avoid contact with family members and others for three weeks.
Published - October 30, 2024 10:01 pm IST