In addition to mosquito-borne illnesses rising due to weak monsoon rainfall, cholera outbreaks are still prevalent in certain parts of Ahmedabad city.
Based on information disclosed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's health department, between August 1 and August 17, the city registered 345 instances of dengue, 110 cases of malaria, 18 cases of falciparum malaria, and 35 cases of chikungunya.
Not to mention, in just 17 days, 35,391 cases of viral fever were detected.
During this time, 55,155 blood samples were taken for analysis, and 4,524 serum samples with likely dengue symptoms were analyzed.
In Ahmedabad, cholera in particular is still a major problem. There have been reports of 541 cases of gastroenteritis, 299 cases of jaundice, 485 cases of typhoid, and 22 cases of cholera in the last 17 days alone.
Notably, there are currently 193 cases of cholera in 2024, more than the 35 cases in 2022 and the 95 cases in 2023 combined.
Cholera outbreaks were reported in August in the following locations: Danilimda, Behrampura, Gota, Lambha, Indrapuri, Ramol Hathijan, Vatva, Ranip, and Asarwa. 9,139 chlorine tests were carried out in response, and 378 samples had negative results. Furthermore, 3,430 water samples were examined for microorganisms, and 143 of them were determined to be unsafe for consumption.
Speaking anonymously, an AMC health department official issued a warning about the situation getting worse. The authority declared, "The light and intermittent rainfall this monsoon is ideal for mosquito breeding. It could lead to a surge in mosquito-borne diseases, especially dengue. We are doing everything we can to control the situation, but the past week alone has seen over 150 dengue cases and more than 50 malaria cases, highlighting the growing threat."
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)