More than 125 affected by hepatitis-A epidemic in Thane

Poor sanitation, improper disposal of the garbage, polluted water sources and high temperatures has led to a hepatitis-A epidemic at Mhasa village in Murbad, Thane district.

Poor sanitation, improper disposal of the garbage, polluted water sources and high temperatures has led to a hepatitis-A epidemic at Mhasa village in Murbad, Thane district.

HT Image

More than 125 residents have been affected, with 25 having been shifted to Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai, 10 patients being treated at

the primary health centre at Mhasa, and the rest being medicated at home.

“The first patient tested positive for hepatitis-A on March 7. The number of people affected has increased since then. In the last one week, we have shifted 25 patients to Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai and 10 patients are in our primary health centre,” Dr Santosh Bhadakwad of the primary health centre, Mhasa village, said.

The district health office has officially declared the outbreak of an epidemic in Mhasa. Officials are carrying out door-to-door surveys to gauge the extent to which the disease has spread.

Residents are being given tablets and solutions to purify their drinking water, and being instructed to drink the water only after it is properly purified and boiled.

The village’s gram panchayat had also sent a water sample for testing to Murbad and the district laboratory, according to Dr Bhadakwad. Both labs confirmed that the water source in the area has been polluted, which is the major reason for the outbreak.