E-Paper
Hepatitis E toll in Fatehgarh Sahib rises to 39
As many as 39 people have fallen sick in the past six days after the Hepatitis E outbreak in Fatehgarh Sahib. Contaminated water is said to be cause of the outbreak. Teams of local health department collected around seven samples from different sources of water supply and all samples failed to clear the purity test.
As many as 39 people have fallen sick in the past six days after the Hepatitis E outbreak in Fatehgarh Sahib. Contaminated water is said to be cause of the outbreak.
Teams of local health department collected around seven samples from different sources of water supply and all samples failed to clear the purity test.
The first case of the outbreak was reported on January 29 at Ram Nagar in Fatehgarh Sahib and later the patients from other areas, include Guru Nanak Colony, Dashmesh Nagar, Gur ki Nagri and Birhi Chand Colony, also started emerging.
Following the outbreak, the health department has set up health check-up camp at affected areas and conducted medical tests of suspected patients.
The teams have also distributed pamphlets to residents to make them aware of disease and given ORS packets and medicines to residents.
District epidemiologist Dr Deepti Sharma said, “A total of 39 people have been found Hepatitis E positive in the last six days. They are all in stable condition. The outbreak has been controlled as not a single case was reported in the last two days.”
“The outbreak was caused by contaminated water. We found leakage in the main water supply in the area. This caused sewage water to mix with drinking water,” said Dr Deepti. The leakage has now been repaired.
“Though the leakage was repaired but we have collected five more samples on Monday and sent them to the laboratory at Kharar. Moreover, we have also visited around 320 houses on Monday to take precautionary steps,” she added.
