2020 cholera outbreak in Bengaluru

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An outbreak of cholera was reported in Bengaluru, Karnataka in March 2020. As of 9 March 2020, there were 17 cases of cholera in Bengaluru. [1] Reports of cholera-like cases were also being reported in large numbers in Bengaluru.

Contents

Epidemiology

The cause of the outbreak is suspected to be a sewage leak in Bengaluru, although the exact focus is yet to be ascertained. [2] [1]

Out of the 17 cases recorded, 8 are in the east zone, 7 in the south zone and 2 in the west zone. [1] As of 9 March, there are also 25 suspected cases of cholera in Bengaluru. [1] Most patients were in the age group of 20-40, belonging to the IT corridor of Bengaluru. [2]

Governmental actions

The Bengaluru civic body evicted street food vendors and footpath sellers to ensure the city's cleanliness and to prevent the further transmission of the disease. [3] The samples of water taken from various parts of the city were sent for testing to Public Health Institute on the suspicion that sewage is being mixed with drinking water. [4] The cholera outbreak is amidst the concerns of the spread of coronavirus in Karnataka. Water supply was stopped to some of the areas where the cases were reported. [2] The Chief Health Officer of Bengaluru said that cholera help desks have been set up in urban primary health centres of the city. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholera</span> Bacterial infection of the small intestine

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This may result in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish. Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarantine</span> Epidemiological intervention to prevent disease transmission

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Snow</span> English epidemiologist and physician (1813–1858)

John Snow was an English physician and a leader in the development of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the founders of modern epidemiology, in part because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, London, in 1854, which he curtailed by removing the handle of a water pump. Snow's findings inspired the adoption of anaesthesia as well as fundamental changes in the water and waste systems of London, which led to similar changes in other cities, and a significant improvement in general public health around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike</span> Administrative body for the city of Bengaluru

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area. It is the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India and is responsible for a population of 8.4 million in an area of 741 km2. Its boundaries have expanded more than 10 times over the last six decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak</span> Severe outbreak of cholera that occurred in London in 1854

The Broad Street cholera outbreak was a severe outbreak of cholera that occurred in 1854 near Broad Street in Soho, London, England, and occurred during the 1846–1860 cholera pandemic happening worldwide. This outbreak, which killed 616 people, is best known for the physician John Snow's study of its causes and his hypothesis that germ-contaminated water was the source of cholera, rather than particles in the air. This discovery came to influence public health and the construction of improved sanitation facilities beginning in the mid-19th century. Later, the term "focus of infection" started to be used to describe sites, such as the Broad Street pump, in which conditions are favourable for transmission of an infection. Snow's endeavour to find the cause of the transmission of cholera caused him to unknowingly create a double-blind experiment.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore</span> Capital city of Karnataka, India

Bangalore, officially Bengaluru, is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than 8 million and a metropolitan population of around 11 million, making it India's third most populous city and fifth most populous urban agglomeration, as well as South India's second-largest urban agglomeration, and the 27th largest city in the world. Located on the Deccan Plateau, at a height of over 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level, Bangalore has a pleasant climate throughout the year, with its parks and green spaces earning it the reputation of India's "Garden City". Its elevation is the highest among India's major cities.

The 2014 Odisha hepatitis outbreak was an outbreak of mainly Hepatitis E and also Hepatitis A which began in the town of Sambalpur in Odisha, India. The cause of the outbreak was suspected to be the contamination to drinking water supplied by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Karnataka, India

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Amid coronavirus scare, Cholera-like gastro disease on rise in Bengaluru". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Cholera comes to Bengaluru: Civic body confirms 7 cases, more in private hospitals". The Indian Express. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. "Bengaluru Civic Body to Evict Street Vendors After City Records 17 Cholera Cases". News18. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. Sunitha Rao R. "Cholera in Bangalore: Six cholera cases reported in one week in Bengaluru : Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  5. "Cholera outbreak in southeast Bengaluru's tech corridor". Deccan Herald. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.