More than 100 suspected cases of typhoid, including among children, have been reported in Gandhinagar, Gujarat after a leakage in a water pipeline, ANI reported on Monday.
Of the 113 suspected cases, 19 patients have been discharged from hospital, while the remaining 94 are being treated at the Gandhinagar Civil Hospital and urban health centres in Sectors 24 and 29 of the city, the news agency reported.
Typhoid is a water-borne disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi that attacks multiple organs, causes vomiting and, in rare cases, leads to death.
After the outbreak, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Gandhinagar, directed the authorities in the state capital to “act on war footing”, ANI quoted a press release as saying.
Shah instructed officials to carry out immediate repairs and inspect pipelines in surrounding areas to prevent further spread of the disease, the release said.
Health officials have also been directed to ensure prompt treatment for all patients.
“Round-the-clock OPDs [outpatient departments] have been established in the affected areas, and arrangements have been made for the relatives of patients being treated at the Civil Hospital,” PTI quoted the press release as adding.
Survey teams of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation have so far inspected more than 20,800 houses and covered more than 90,000 persons. They have also distributed 30,000 chlorine tablets and 20,600 Oral Rehydration Solution sachets to residents as a preventive measure, ANI reported.
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