Hepatitis A breaks out in Baramulla villages

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 16: More than three dozen persons have been tested positive for Hepatitis A in Dangiwachi area and its adjoining villages of Rafiabad in Northern Kashmir’s district of Baramulla.
The Health Officials told Excelsior that the first case of hepatitis came forth on September 10 when medicos’ from Sopore hospital informed them about a patient testing positive for Hepatitis A.
They said that 40 persons, majority of them children below 10, have been tested positive and they are under observation. The officials said the contaminated water is the reason for the outbreak of the disease and said they have collected samples for further tests.
Block Medical Officer (BMO) of the area, Dr Maqbool told Excelsior that all the affected patients are stable and are under observation.
Giving reasons for the outbreak, the BMO said: “This is a water-borne disease. In villages, people often consume water from streams while the children also bath in these streams. They, the children, also eat impure fruits.”
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla said that the medical teams are actively working and monitoring the situation in affected villages. She said that they have directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department to clean the water tanks and within 24 hours water supply be restored. “We have also collected water samples and sent them for testing”, she said.

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