Bengaluru: Amid water crisis, Bengaluru is witnessing another crisis as the city is hit by a massive cholera outbreak. One confirmed case has been reported in the Malleshwaram area and the samples from two other suspected cases in the same locality have been sent for testing.
In the meantime, Sreehari D, a consultant medical gastroenterologist at Sparsh Hospital, Bengaluru, said, “We have seen more than 20 cases in the past few weeks.” He said poor sanitation and contaminated water sources are the primary reasons for the surge in cholera cases in the city.
Several private hospitals in the city, typically reporting only one or two cases of cholera per month, have witnessed significant increase to six or seven cases in less than a fortnight during March.
Health experts attribute this spike in cholera cases to individuals contracting the infection after consuming food from small-scale eateries. Affected by the acute water scarcity, these establishments may have used compromised water quality, exacerbating the spread of the waterborne disease.
Even as the BBMP is yet to declare a cholera outbreak it has issued advisory on things to do and things to avoid, as stomach ailments are on the rise.
Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Tushar Giri Nath told Business Standard that there is one confirmed case of cholera in Malleshwaram area.
He said in a PG in Malleshwaram, one case has been cholera positive and others are sent for tests. “We are identifying the source of contamination and all. There is no outbreak. We are taking all precautionary measures and will soon come out with an advisory,” he was quoted as saying by the BS.
For the genera information, cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholera.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in a statement said that that 1.3 to 4 million people around the world suffer from cholera each year and 21,000 to 143,000 people succumb to it.
First of all, people need to ensure that drinking water is adequately treated or boiled before drinking.
All need to follow hygiene practices such as handwashing with soap and water, particularly before meals or cooking.
All need to refrain from eating undercooked food and opt for cooked dishes instead.
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