Giving an example of the severity of the issue, Jaslok hospital physician Dr Pratit Samdhani said, "We had a 48-year-old man hospitalised because of gastroenteritis. He had kidney failure and was passing blood in the stool."
In the last two days, city public hospitals have seen nearly 200 gastroenteritis cases, said a report released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Private hospital doctors say this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Giving an example of the severity of the issue, Jaslok hospital physician Dr Pratit Samdhani said, "We had a 48-year-old man hospitalised because of gastroenteritis. He had kidney failure and was passing blood in the stool."
He added that this year they are witnessing a rise in stomach infection cases. "Every day, we see five to six cases, most are food-water-borne, some are viral. People should be very careful while eating out as many coming in with gastroenteritis are those who eat out frequently."
Agreeing with Samdhani, Dr Khusrav Bajan, an intensivist at PD Hinduja Hospital, said that everyday there are one to two stomach ailment patients who need to be hospitalised. "We are seeing a lot of gastroenteritis cases where there is severe dehydration and kidney failure. There are many who require ICU management and have to be given intravenous antibiotics. People with diabetes or secondary ailment should be very careful and see a doctor if they have more than five to six episodes of loose motions," said Bajan.
The BMC has started a special fortnight drive for prevention and control of diarrhoeal diseases. It said that approximately 10% deaths of those aged under 5 are due to diarrhoeal diseases. In June alone, the BMC registered 979 gastroenteritis cases and 166 hepatitis cases. A maximum number of hepatitis cases were reported from F-south (Parel), H-east (Santa Cruz), L (Kurla), and M-east (Deonar) wards.
"Gastroenteritis is contracted due to contaminated water and food. Almost all cases of stomach infections that we see daily is related to people's eating-out habits. Avoiding eating or drinking out and early diagnosis are must," said Dr Om Shrivastav, infectious diseases expert, adding that only the young and the middle-aged are seen to be affected with these ailments.
Don't ignore loose motions
Diarrhoea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day, or more frequently than is normal for an individual. It is usually a symptom of gastrointestinal infection, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. The infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking water, or from person to person as a result of poor hygiene. Severe diarrhoea leads to fluid loss, and may even be life-threatening, particularly in children and those who are malnourished or have impaired immunity.
A few dos and don'ts
Self/kitchen hygiene helps avoid stomach infection.
Look at what you are eating; avoid eating salads, fruit plates outside, be it is a street vendor or five-star hotel.
Avoid drinking water outside. Carry your own water bottle. Boil water and drink. Avoid water-based food items like chutnies, sauces and fruit juices.
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