Gastritis outbreak in 10 Nadaun villages, more than 350 infected

Hamirpur, January 29

More than 350 locals have reportedly been infected following a gastritis outbreak in around 10 villages of the five gram panchayats of Nadaun subdivision of the district today.

CAUSE YET TO BE ASCERTAINED

Water samples are being taken from the villages to ascertain the outbreak cause. People are advised to drink boiled water only. ORS pouches are also being distributed among the masses. RK Agnihotri, CMO

After the information last evening, the Health Department pressed five teams into service. Deputy Commissioner Debasweta Banik directed the Jal Shakti Vibhag to check all water sources in the area and inspect storage tanks and pipelines to ensure the supply of safe drinking water.

The major villages affected by the gastritis outbreak include Niyati, Jolsappar, Ban, Thai, Jandali Rajputan, Jandali Gujran, Dehi Thappar and Rangas.

Pertinently, the Health Department had started taking the samples of water supplied to people from various sources to assess its quality. It was also suspected that the outbreak was due to water contamination.

The Health Department has instructed locals to consume only boiled water and avoid eating overripe fruits.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) RK Agnihotri, who visited the affected villages, said the cause of gastritis outbreak was yet to be established. He said the common causes were drinking contaminated water. “Samples are being taken from the villages to ascertain the cause. People are advised to drink boiled water only. Meanwhile, ORS pouches are being distributed among the masses,” the CMO added.

He further said so far, only two persons had been admitted to hospital and the rest were recovering at home. He added so far, the number of infected had reached over 350, but it could increase in the coming days.