HYDERABAD: Even before the old city could recover from the jaundice outbreak that began way back in March, a diarrhoea outbreak with over 150 cases in two days has been reported from the city, mainly from Ghode ki Khabar and Goshamahal.

According to the District Medical and Health Officer, S. Satyavathi, over 150 cases of diarrhoea had been reported from these areas, 100 on Saturday alone. The Health Department has set up medical camps in the region and medicines including ORS packets are being distributed. Official teams are visiting houses and enquiring about any cases that were not reported at any hospitals.

"Patients have been put on IV fluids and we are taking all precautions to prevent dehydration and further spread of the disease," Dr. Satyavathi told The Hindu .

The first report of diarrhoea cases in groups was on Friday with 50 patients being admitted to the Sir Ronald Ross Institute for Tropical and Communicable Diseases (Fever Hospital) in Nallakunta. Of these, 20 were discharged on Saturday.

The condition of the rest is stable, Fever Hospital authorities said.

All urban health posts in the city have been put on an alert while the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board was informed, Dr. Satyavathi said. The Water Board officials are also visiting the areas and investigating the reasons for the outbreak.

Implementation of the Health Department's monsoon action plan has also been intensified with residual chlorine checking and collection of water samples, borewell/open well samples and distribution of chlorine tablets from house-to-house gaining momentum, she said. Circle level teams were also going around and collecting samples of water and food to be sent for bacteriological analysis to the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Narayanguda. Water-purifying tablets were also being distributed.

Though officials said contaminated water could be one reason for the outbreak, the actual reasons are yet to be ascertained.

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