Continuous rain pushes up typhoid cases in city

Doctors see a spurt in typhoid cases after the recent rainfall in the city.

The number of cases has increased to around 300 in the last week, data from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) shows. The total number of cases since January is around 1,300.

“These are normal cases. There is nothing unusual about these occurrences,” said Dr Lokesh M N, chief health officer, BBMP.

Doctors at various hospitals, however, said the number of typhoid cases was rising due to the recent rainfall.

Dr Pankaj Singhai, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospitals, said the number of typhoid cases was increasing as the rainy season had remained active for the past two months.

“I see around five to six cases a week. There are both complicated and non-complicated cases of typhoid. We also see cases which are extremely severe where patients come in a state of unconsciousness, where the brain is affected,” he said.

Ambanna Gowda, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, said they receive around
10-15 cases a week in one of their hospitals.

Doctors said the increase was predominantly due
to the rain, which had led to the contamination of water and food.

“Typhoid is caused by infection from contaminated food and water. If there is a contamination of drinking water by sewage water, then there are chances of contracting typhoid,” said Dr Venkatesh, programme officer, BBMP.

“I see five to six cases of diarrhoea and typhoid a week. This is mostly because they have consumed food and water mixed with contaminated water,” said Dr Shilpa Singi, Consultant, Internal Medicine, NH Narayana Multispecialty Hospital.

Public awareness

Dr Lokesh said health inspectors had been to various parts of Bengaluru to survey the outbreak of diseases. He said people were being educated about not consuming uncooked, frozen food, and water which is not boiled.

DH News Service