Doctors advise precaution as Mumbai registers 7 cases of cholera in July

The civic body recorded seven cases of cholera in July from different wards in the city. Following this, even though all patients were treated and there were no fatalities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) undertook a house-to-house survey.

The cases were reported from Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls in F South Ward, G South Ward (comprising Elphinstone), Dongri in B ward, Santacruz in H West, Byculla and Madanpura in E ward.

"Every case is a cause of concern for us. But from the perspective of public healthcare, since the cases are scattered across different wards, they are not a cause for panic," said a senior public health official. "We had similar number of cholera cases in July last year as well. People are advised to take care and seek treatment as soon as there are any symptoms," added the official.

Cholera is a highly infectious disease characterised by diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration. It spreads rapidly and can be fatal. Bacterium vibrio cholerae is responsible for cholera and it is spread mainly through contaminated food and water.

Dr Chetan Bhatt, gastroenterologist at Bhatia Hospital, said, "Diarrhoea is so severe in cholera that at times a patient can pass around 15 litres of watery stool in a day, causing dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Street food and uncooked food shall be avoided during monsoon." Recovery from Cholera can take anywhere between two to three weeks.

While civic officials are attributing old water pipelines for the outbreak of cholera in the city, doctors add that it is important to identify the source of the bacteria to check its arrest.