A day after two children were reported dead due to suspected cholera in Rajkot, the district administration has ordered the sealing of six plastic recycling units near Upleta town. A sanitisation drive was launched in the area late Monday night after water samples from the area detected the presence of E. coli bacteria.
Meanwhile, two more people, including a pregnant woman, were hospitalised after suspected cholera infection. The suspected cholera deaths came to light during a polio vaccination drive on Sunday after health department staff learnt that two children of labourers from Madhya Pradesh working at plastic recycling units in a cluster of Tanswa-Ganod villages near Upleta town had died last week. Water samples were taken from wells and borewells in the area by various agencies, with the health department urging owners and staff of recycling units to report any cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Rajkot collector Prabhav Joshi told The Indian Express, “Four water samples taken from the area have tested positive for E. coli bacteria. Though these bacteria are not known to cause cholera, further tests are underway on the water samples. But orders have been issued to seal six plastic recycling units for violating industrial safety and health norms.” He said the authorities have started sealing the units since late Monday night.
The collector said that the Gujarat Food and Drug Administration as well as the State Pollution Control Board are testing water samples from the area to identify any contamination. “People in the area are being given prophylactic medicine doses and disinfectants are being sprayed to clean the area.”
Rajkot Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) Dr PK Singh said two people undergoing treatment for suspected cholera cases were discharged on Monday after their condition improved, while two others remained hospitalised. “Two women were admitted to the Upleta sub-district hospital today as suspected cases of cholera. One of them is pregnant. Besides, four people, including a two-and-a-half-year-old child, are being treated indoors,” he said.
The CDHO said the units from which the suspected outbreak was reported were drawing water from two wells and some borewells. “We have asked the unit owners and staff to immediately report any cases of diarrhoea or vomiting to us as diarrhoea can be life-threatening if not managed properly in the initial few hours.”
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First uploaded: 25-06-2024 08:40 IST