Hyderabad: Three staff nurses of Fernandez Hospital from Boggulkunta have been affected by sporadic cholera. While the cases were confirmed on Tuesday, another case from Addagutta was detected on Monday, taking the total cases in July to nine.
Two of the nurses had drunk cranberry juice last Friday evening from a street vendor outside Big Bazaar in Abids. They had also packed juice for their colleague in their hostel who drank it later in the evening.
On Saturday morning, they suffered from severe loose motions and vomiting.
They were admitted in the hospital and were undergoing treatment when the doctors suspected cholera.
Laboratory tests confirmed on Tuesday morning that the nurses were suffering from El Tor strain of bacterium of vibrio cholera and district medical and health officials of Hyderabad were notified.
A senior health official of the epidemiology wing said, “We have collected water samples from their hostel and even the hospital. The problem in the city is that sewage lines and water lines are parallel. The cholera bacterium in the infected patient’s stool is in large quantities — one to the power of 11. If there is any leakage in the water pipelines and bacterium find their way in the water, then there can be contamination. Hence the samples are being tested and also awareness is being carried out in the area.”
Officials to check vendors
The DMHO has also alerted the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials to check street vendors as the patients consumed juice from the roadside. GHMC officials are yet to take the samples from the food joints. A senior food inspector said, “We have been notified and we will collect the samples by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.”
A senior doctor at Fernandez Hospital said, “The nurses are stable now. But it is very important to rehydrate the patient. In cases of sporadic cholera, if rehydration is not properly done then there are chances of renal failure, which can than lead to complications.”
Sanitation in the city is one of the prime reasons for these sporadic cases, said health officials, adding that large-scale concentration of people and leaking water and sewage pipes are the prime reasons for contamination.
