2 cholera cases reported in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Two cholera cases reported in Pimpri-Chinchwad area prompt officials to issue advisory. Surveillance underway; residents urged to take preventive measures.

Two confirmed cases of cholera have been reported in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area, prompting the civic officials to issue an advisory for the public to take necessary measures to prevent any outbreak.

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started surveillance in the Bhosari area where the cases were reported. (HT PHOTO)

The patients are from the Bhosari area and include—a 19-year-old male and a 41-year-old female.

The male is a bachelor and lives with his roommates and all have been found to have no symptoms. The female patient lives with her family and all her family members have no symptoms. However, all the close contacts of these two patients were given precautionary medicines and ORS, informed officials.

Both patients visited the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) on June 9 and complained of vomiting, stomach flu and fever.

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started surveillance in the Bhosari area where the cases were reported, said the officials.

Dr Abhaychandra Dadewar, assistant health officer, PCMC, said two special teams including an epidemiologist, medical officers and health officers are conducting door-to-door visits in the area and identifying suspected cases.

“The team is stationed in this area and the team from the public health department is likely to visit in a couple of days. The surveillance for people with cholera or stomach flu symptoms has been started and they are provided medicines and preventive measures,” he said.

“We have identified five suspected cases of cholera in this area, and they have been admitted at YCMH,” he said.

As per World Health Organisation (WHO), cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae.

Cholera is an extremely serious disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.

Following the detection of cases the civic body has issued an advisory for the residents of PCMC to drink only tap water and avoid drinking unfiltered borewell water. Cover food items and avoid eating stale and unhygienically stored food items. Besides, citizens are asked to keep their surroundings clean and follow good hygiene and hand hygiene practices.

Dr Laxman Gophane, health officer of PCMC, said, citizens should boil drinking water to make it safe to drink. “Citizens should visit the nearest civic hospital for treatment if they develop fever, vomiting and stomach flu. All private hospitals and practitioners are asked to notify cases of cholera, typhoid, dysentery, gastro and hepatitis at nearby government hospitals.

“Developers and builders should make sure that people living in labour camps are provided tap water for drinking. The labourers should be made aware of the prevention of waterborne diseases,” he said.