The Mahisagar district administration in Gujarat has declared a state of high alert following a severe and rapid outbreak of jaundice. Health officials have reported a staggering 299 cases of the disease within the first 20 days of December, alongside two suspected fatalities that have sent shockwaves through the community.
Surge in Cases and Suspected Fatalities
Officials noted a sharp increase in jaundice infections from the very beginning of the month. The situation reached a critical point on a recent Saturday, when 12 new patients required immediate hospitalisation. The outbreak has been linked to two tragic suspected deaths, involving a 15-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man. Senior medical experts from Vadodara's SSG Hospital and Baroda Medical College are currently verifying the exact cause of these deaths to confirm their connection to the outbreak.
Contaminated Water Identified as Primary Cause
A rapid response team, comprising doctors from SSGH and BMC, conducted an urgent assessment in the affected town. Their preliminary findings point to a grave public health failure: sewage contamination of the drinking water supply is the most likely source of the jaundice spread. Laboratory tests have confirmed these fears, revealing 18 contaminated water samples. The tainted sources include water from two borewells and even a filtered water jug supplied by a local vendor.
In response, the local municipality has launched a major repair operation. They have identified nearly 40 specific locations where leaks and contamination were occurring and have begun urgent work to fix these breaches in the water infrastructure.
Precautionary Measures and Public Health Response
To protect the most vulnerable, especially young children, authorities have taken decisive action. As a precautionary step, all anganwadis (childcare centres) within the municipal area have been temporarily closed. To ensure nutritional support continues, alternative arrangements have been made to deliver meals directly to the homes of the anganwadi beneficiaries. Furthermore, a thorough inspection of all water supplied to these centres and their storage facilities is underway.
The district administration continues to monitor the situation closely, urging residents to use only boiled or certified safe water and to report any symptoms of jaundice immediately to health authorities.
