Andhra Pradesh - Nizamabad   

Water-borne diseases on rise

By P. Ram Mohan

NIZAMABAD, MARCH 29. Viral Hepatitis A and E, highly infectious water-borne diseases, have been prevalent in the town for the last one week. They have been on the rise by the day.

At least 10 to 20 persons are said to have tested positive with heavy serum bilirubin and other liver function tests like SGOT, SGPT and ALP in each qualified clinical laboratories in the town every day.

This communicable disease is mainly reported from the town and not coming from the peripheries. Though the paediatric population is highly affected it does not mean that there are no cases among adults.

A leading paediatrician in the town, N. Ramchander, confirmed the prevalence of the disease and said the disease spread due to drinking of unsafe water supplied by the municipality.

Viral infection

Two school-going girls were diagnosed viral Hepatitis positive at his clinic yesterday, he said. Verification with other labs revealed that the viral infection has been on the rise.

It is said that some of the patients have been tested having 30 to 40 mg of serum bilirubin which is considered to be on the higher side and a potentially fatal form of hepatitis. Less than 1 mg is considered the normal level, according to doctors.

The sclera (the white part of eye) turns yellowish when the serum bilirubin crosses 2 mg, Dr. Ramchander said adding many patients were joining hospitals with complaints of abdominal pains, vomit, loss of appetite and fever--symptoms of the disease.

Damage to liver

The disease will multiply resulting in irreparable damage of the liver when the patients approach quacks and depend on indigenous medicines like "pasaru (herbal juice) and patyam''. Normally, this is the tendency of masses affected by the viral hepatitis, he says.

This has affected all sections of people though it is seen mostly in low income groups. The poor are more prone to the disease as they have no other go than depend on municipal water which turned out to be unsafe.

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