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ShareMumbai: Statutory warning: Make sure the water you drink is boiled. Ignoring this warning may put your life in danger.
That's what happened to three-year-old Andheri resident, Pratiksha Rele, who was diagnosed with a roundworm infection so acute that only an emergency procedure in the nick of time saved her life.
"We had to perform an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to remove over 120 roundworms that were present in the child's biliary system and liver," said gastroenterologist Dr Amit Maydeo, Director, Institute of Advanced Endoscopy, at Kemps Corner in south Mumbai. "I have seen such a severe case just once, about 10 years ago, in my 20-year practice," he added.
Ascaris lumbricoides, better known as roundworms, infest the human digestive tract. They spread through faeco-oral contact, which occurs in unsanitary conditions and when people eat unhygienic food or drink impure water. "Contaminated food, raw vegetables in salads, impure water, even the green chutney used in sandwiches and pani puri could cause it," said Maydeo.
In Pratiksha, the roundworms, which are usually seen in the intestine, had made their way to the biliary system. Pratiksha was rushed to Dr Maydeo's clinic in a critical condition, "She had fever, diarrhoea, and was vomiting," said Sushma, Pratiksha's mother. "I will never let my child eat roadside food again. She used to eat a lot of vada pav and bhelpuri and drink water from the tap."
Gastroenterologists say a simple sonography can diagnose the condition. "I would advice people to refrain from eating roadside food frequently. And those who do should consume a deworming tablet at least once in six months," said Dr Ravindra Kale, a gastroenterologist.
Each roundworm produces approximately 1,20,000 eggs, and each worm has the potential of becoming an adult. That is how the worms form a roundworm colony in the digestive tract. "These eggs can survive even in chlorinated water. Boiling water for 15 minutes is the only solution," he added.
(Some names have been changed)
