Thrissur: While several students residing at hostels and some persons staying at the staff quarters of Government Engineering College, Thrissur have been diagnosed with jaundice recently, the officials here at the office of District Medical Office say that the source of the virus which led to the outbreak of the disease is yet to be confirmed. Deputy DMO Baby Lakshmi told DC that the study conducted by the Health Officials found no E-coli bacteria in the water samples collected from the campus but that did not confirm that there was no Hepatitis A virus present in the water sourced out of wells in the campus of the college for use at hostels, mess and quarters.
"We have alerted the State Surveillance Unit to conduct direct study of the water samples at their labs and if necessary to send samples outside the state to know about the presence of the virus in the water used at GECT," Ms Lakshmi said. She said that it was found during the inspection at the college campus that the water from the main well was chlorinated and treated using bleaching powder. The students are holding protests at the college citing that as many as 400 students have contracted the disease and were undergoing treatment at their homes.
According to college authorities the numbers of those students with jaundice are around 50. Students had requested the Calicut University to postpone the semester examinations citing the outbreak of the disease. According to the students, the filters of the water purifiers at the college mess, boys' and girls' hostels have not be replaced for some time now and the source of the jaundice virus were from the water supplied from the wells in the campus.
While the teachers and the principal of the college are of the opinion that the excursions undertaken by the students at the end of the semester and taking cool drinks and food from wayside eateries near the college could be the reason for the outbreak. On Friday, a team of students and head of the departments of Community Medicine, Micro Biology and General Medicine collected samples and inspected the water sources at the college. Their study results would be out soon, said the deputy DMO.
