Hyderabad: With 36 cases of cholera recorded in 2016 in Hyderabad city limits, health workers say that when contaminated water is mixed with ice, juice, sharbats or beverages in the street food or in bottling plants, chances of contracting cholera increase. A recent study published in the Journal of Tropical Diseases and Public Health found that ice is also a carrier of bacteria vibro cholera. The researchers studied over 200 cases in different parts of India of which 20 cases where studied in Hyderabad over a period of two years from 2014 to 2016.
Dr R. Reddy, a post-graduate student who was a part of the research explained, “The quality of water and it’s testing in each batch and at regular intervals is important. We found that the cases which were reported in hospitals, both private and public, involved drinking juices with ice from street vendors or from hotels. Hence the water quality monitoring must be done not only by the unit but also by municipal authorities from time-to-time.”
Random sampling and checking is important by authorities not only during the manufacturing phase but also during storage and transportation. The study observed that hygienic conditions have to be maintained even while storing and transporting ice so that the people do not contract the disease.
Dr Reddy explained, “There have been random cases which are reported from time-to-time every year. It is not an epidemic and continues to be sporadic cases which means that the source of the bacteria is from a food product which has not been manufactured or handled properly. These aspects need to be looked into and rectified with the help of authorities.”
