Kapurthala, Jalandhar districts top list of diarrhoea cases in Punjab

It seems like most residents of Kapurthala and Jalandhar got the supply of contaminated water in their houses last year, as the highest number of people from these two districts have fallen prey to acute diarrhoea in 2016.

It seems like most residents of Kapurthala and Jalandhar got the supply of contaminated water in their houses last year, as the highest number of people from these two districts have fallen prey to acute diarrhoea in 2016.

As per a report collected from the state health department, Kapurthala recorded the maximum number of 2,097 diarrhoea cases in 2016, followed by 1,867 patients in Jalandhar. (Photo: Shutterstock)

As per a report collected from the state health department, Kapurthala recorded the maximum number of 2,097 diarrhoea cases in 2016, followed by 1,867 patients in Jalandhar.

The officials of civic body blamed the residents by claiming that they make illegal water connections on the mainline, ending up damaging it. This process results in mixing of sewerage water in the main pipeline which results in an outbreak of diarrhoea.

Prem Pal, a resident of Santpura locality in Kapurthala, died on May 23 last year after reportedly consuming contaminated water. Similarly, Piara Singh, 45, a resident of Mundi Shehrian village of Jalandhar, also died due to diarrhoea on August 23. Mundi Shehrian, Mundi Chohlian and Lachhu Dian Chhana villages of Shahkot sub-division were the most affected areas here.

Kapurthala civil surgeon Dr HS Kahlon said the trend shows that maximum people are coming for treatment in the government hospitals and the records of out-patient department witness steep increase there.

Jalandhar civil surgeon Dr Maninder Kaur Minhas claimed that it is seasonal disease and the size of the population in Jalandhar is bigger than the other districts.

In Jalandhar, during a fortnightly survey conducted by the district health department from July 11 to July 23, it was found that around 4% children in the age group of 0-5 were suffering from diarrhoea. The department had surveyed 88,720 children and found 3,145 to be suffering from the water-borne disease.

Diarrhoea is primarily a symptom of gastrointestinal infection. Depending on the type of infection, diarrhoea may be watery, for example in cholera, or passed with blood, as in the case of dysentery.

The most common cause of this disease is an infection of the intestines due to either a virus, bacteria, or parasite; a condition known as gastroenteritis. These infections are often acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by stool, or directly from another person who is infected. It is more common where there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Basic hygiene is important for its prevention.