Bengaluru: Health circular to tackle cholera outbreak

There is an increased likelihood of cholera cases during the hot, summer months.

Bengaluru: The rising temperatures across Karnataka and the increased likelihood of cholera cases during these months have prompted the state health commissioner, D Randeep, to issue a circular to all district health and family welfare officers to take necessary measures to prevent an outbreak.

The circular, dated April 12, also outlines what the officers should do in the event of an outbreak.

Randeep has instructed officers to stock up on emergency medication such as antibiotics, IV fluids, and oral rehydration salts, and set up 24x7 temporary clinics. Officers have been asked to test water samples for the Coliform bacteria and undertake stool culture and sensitivity tests at district public health laboratories during a suspected outbreak.

In the event that a stool sample tests positive for cholera following the hanging drop test, district surveillance officers will need to immediately begin local surveillance, report each case on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) and follow-up on such cases till the patients recover.

If any diarrhoea or cholera cases cluster is reported in a localised area, officers will be required to conduct door-to-door surveillance and generate an event alert on the IHIP for outbreak-control measures.

Besides, district health and family welfare officers must raise awareness about diarrhoea and cholera cases among residents and provide hands-on training to local health workers, besides collaborating with other government agencies to ensure that residents are supplied clean drinking water.

Moreover, samples of the food and water supplied at large events will be routinely inspected to avoid any contamination and subsequent spread of the disease.

Cases in the state

Karnataka has reported 32 confirmed cases of cholera until April 21 this year. All the patients have, however, been discharged from hospitals.

Seventeen cases were reported within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits this year, 14 of which were reported between April 1 and 19.

Bengaluru Urban district reported 10 cases this year, including eight in April alone. Mysuru district has reported three cases in April, whereas Kolar and Koppal districts each reported one case this year.