With five more cases of Hepatitis-E coming to fore, the number of people diagnosed of the infection in Cheki-Wangund village of Kulgam district in South Kashmir has reached 13.
The doctors had last week confirmed outbreak of Hepatitis-E in the village after eight people were tested positive for the infection.
The highly contaminated water supplied to the inhabitants by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department was attributed as the sole reason for the outbreak.
“Five more people have tested positive for infection,” said a doctor today.
He said that out of 59 samples taken for testing to Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) laboratory in Barzulla Srinagar, 5 tested positive.
“The health department has already deputed a team to the area which is monitoring the situation,” the doctor said.
He said that the department was also organizing awareness camps in the area.
The water consumed by the villagers was found highly contaminated as the samples taken for laboratory showed coliform content as high as 92 per 100 ml. As per the standards, a sample of 100ml of water is considered to be ‘excellent’ if its coliform count is zero; ‘satisfactory’ if count is 1-3, ‘suspicious’ if the count is 4-10 and ‘unsatisfactory’ for a count of more than 10.
The PHE department, on the instructions of health department and district administration, has already started supplying chlorinated water to the village.
“We have now sent the samples of this chlorinated water for tests and the report is expected soon,” said a doctor in IDSP.
He said that the people need not to panic but only consume boiled water and maintain proper hygiene.
Meanwhile, a team from Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar has also taken 22 samples from suspected patients and the reports are awaited.
Hepatitis-E is a liver disease caused by hepatitis E virus transmitted through contaminated water. The virus causes inflammation of liver, however the infection is self limiting and not contagious unlike Hepatitis-C.
People in Cheki-Wangund and adjoining village have blamed the PHE department for their failure to provide potable drinking water. However, Deputy Commissioner has already assured the villagers of a treatment plant as well as providing them proper sanitation facilities.
