A jaundice outbreak has been reported in Ernakulam district, allegedly linked to contaminated drinking water. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and quality of the local water supply as temperatures soar in the region.
Outbreak Details in Kothamangalam
The outbreak has been reported from Mulavoor Kavala, a locality in ward 25 of Kothamangalam municipality. Since March 29, 29 jaundice cases have been reported from the area. Health officials stated that no one has reported a serious health condition following the infection, and only one patient required hospital admission. No new cases have been reported since the last case on April 17.
Source of Infection
According to health officials, the source of infection is well water. Four water samples collected from the area showed the presence of the hepatitis A virus. All houses, except a few, along the roadside in Mulavoor Kavala reported jaundice cases. Upon examination, officials found that cases were reported from houses where residents drink water without boiling. These residents draw water from their own wells. Some affected residents claimed they drank water from a purifier, but health officials informed them that purifiers are not effective against viruses. Boiling is the only reliable method to kill pathogens in water.
It is suspected that well water was polluted after contaminated water seeped in from a canal belonging to the Periyar Valley Irrigation Project, which runs behind the houses.
Preventive Measures
Following the outbreak, health workers conducted house-to-house visits to create awareness among residents about the need for precautionary measures. They distributed notices and made mike announcements. Wells in the affected area have been chlorinated. Health officials will continue follow-up for up to one month since the last case was reported. During this period, wells will be chlorinated once a week. Normally, wells should be chlorinated once a month to ensure safe water.
Definition of Outbreak
Jaundice becomes an outbreak when an area reports more cases than usual. In contrast, cholera, another waterborne disease, is declared an outbreak even when a single case is reported.
Other Affected Areas
District health officials also reported jaundice cases in Palluruthy, within Kochi corporation limits. Jaundice has been reported sporadically across the district. Currently, a high number of cases are coming from Kothamangalam and Palluruthy, according to a senior health officer.
Kadebhagam councillor Ashwathy Joshy stated that infection in her division occurred after contaminated water entered through a rusted pipeline of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). When no water is supplied in the pipeline and people draw water using motors, polluted water enters the pipeline. When KWA supplies water, the safe water gets contaminated and people consume it. She emphasized that the entire KWA pipeline system in the area is very old and needs to be replaced with new, safe pipes.
