Monsoon sickness: Six cases of cholera confirmed in July

3 cases from Byculla, 1 each from Dongri, Kurla, Mulund

MUMBAI: Six cases of cholera were reported in the city last month, according to the data released by the municipal corporation’s health department on Tuesday.

Three of the cases were reported from Byculla, while one each was reported from Dongri, Kurla and Mulund.

Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by the consumption of water contaminated by human waste. It causes watery diarrhoea leading to severe dehydration and can be fatal if left untreated.

An official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department said that they have sent the water from the areas where the cases were reported for testing.

However, none of the samples were contaminated due to faeces. So officials concluded that the contaminated water source could have been of some other place and not of their area of residence.

“Since all the cases are not from the same area and were scattered, it is unlikely that it was waterborne,” said the official.

The patients were treated for dehydration using intravenous fluids and were also given antibiotics. All of them have been discharged, the official added.

Meanwhile, cases of stomach flu have also been on the rise. The data showed 1,089 cases of gastroenteritis were recorded last month.

The corresponding figure for the previous year was 1,010. Dr Padmaja Keskar, BMC’S executive health officer, warned people against having food from street stalls.

“The chances of water and food contamination are high during monsoon. People must maintain good sanitation and avoid drinking or eating from roadside hawkers,” she said.