Gujarat typhoid outbreak: Over 150 hospitalised in Gandhinagar

Ahmedabad: A total of 150 patients, including children, have been admitted to following the typhoid outbreak in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar, officials said on Monday. Two children were reported dead, which the hospital authorities claimed were not related to the epidemic.

One death was due to septicemic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation. The other death was due to viral encephalopathy. The two deaths are not related to the epidemic.

Mita Parekh, Medical Superintendent, Gandhinagar Civil Hospital, in a media briefing stated that as on Monday, a total of 152 patients had been admitted to GMS hospital.

"Out of which 108 were suspected cases while Widal (test for detecting typhoid) positive cases are 50 and 25 have been discharged till now," Parekh said.

She added that there were two cases of deaths. One death from Dehgam (Gandhinagar district) was "due to septicemic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation while the other death was due to viral encephalopathy. These deaths are not related to the epidemic."

While the health officials have denied that two children died due to typhoid, one of the parents said that his daughter had symptoms similar to typhoid. 

According to health officials, most of the patients are between ages of 1 and 16. 

They said that the reason behind the epidemic is water contamination caused by pipeline leakages in Gandhinagar’s Sector 24, 28, and Adivada areas.

The state government said that following the outbreak, survey teams of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation covered 20,800 households, and preventive measures, 30,000 chlorine tablets and 20,600 ORS packets were distributed.