BMC takes steps to tackle cholera in Mumbai

Mumbai: With cholera having seemingly made a comeback with three confirmed cases reported from the city since September 1 - taking the number of such cases to seven since January – the BMC has started taking steps to prevent further spread of the dreaded disease.

The BMC has started house-to-house surveys and undertaken distribution of chlorine tablets which act as germ-killer in water and oral rehydration salt (ORS) tablets in areas where the patients reside. Two new mobile pumps for chlorination have also been installed in E-ward’s Madanpura and Saat Rasta where two cholera cases were detected last week. Between January and September this year, nearly seven cases have been detected while not a single case was reported last year. According to ward officials, the mobile pump will be useful in injecting chlorine into water to kill the vibrio-cholera bacteria.

Dr Om Srivastava, infectious diseases expert who treated three cholera patients at Kasturba hospital, told The Asian Age, “Cholera usually affects a number of people from the same vicinity. Once the water is contaminated, it spreads.”

“Cholera, often spread by infected drinking water, can cause severe diarrhoea leading to dehydration and even death if left untreated. If such symptoms are observed, avoid self-medication and rush to your doctor for further treatment,” he cautioned.

Most cholera-hit patients this year were admitted to civic-run Kasturba hospital. The civic body is looking for leakages in sewage and drinking water lines and is collecting random samples to test for vibrio-cholera bacteria, known to spread the disease.

As there is a very real possibility of the disease spreading further in areas where cholera cases have been reported, the civic health department has cautioned all doctors practising in those areas. Specific instructions have been given regarding preventive measures to check spread of the disease.