‘Welcome’ that drink with caution, say doctors, as hepatitis A cases spike in Kerala

Doctors say contaminated water in many cold beverages may be behind a rise in infections being seen in Kozhikode district

Guests, beware of those colourful and cool beverages offered to you while arriving at formal events.

These ‘welcome drinks’, as they are termed in local parlance, could be a source of hepatitis A infections, if the water used is not hygienic and clean, say doctors in Kozhikode as they grapple with an unusually high number of such cases in recent months in the district.

Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, which is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person, according to the World Health Organization.

Sources at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, say that there has been a rise in the number of infections since February this year. In recent weeks, at least five or six people are reportedly being admitted to the general medicine department every day. One government-aided school in the district had to be shut for a few days as a large number of students there fell sick. There have been several deaths too. Two persons died due to the infection over the past two weeks alone, while three others are in critical condition at the hospital now. The number of affected people could go up if those from private hospitals are added to the list, doctors say.

V.K. Shameer, assistant professor at MCH, wrote on a social media post that a large number of young people, with no previous history of any illness, were being infected. Claiming that the consumption of unhygienic water was the main reason for this, he advised caution when consuming cold beverages from unhygienic surroundings. Dr. Shameer also said it was always better to carry a bottle of water, boiled and cooled at home, while travelling, instead of depending on bottled water.

Another public health expert points out that unlike earlier, the infection is being reported from many places now. “We could identify a source point for an outbreak before, such as an event or an institution. But these days, it is widespread across many areas. Unhygienic water sources and ice blocks used in the making of cold beverages, even in shops and restaurants, are turning out to be a cause for concern. The departments of Health and Food Safety, and the local administration need to act together,” he said. He also suggested steps to check the contamination of ground water sources.

Meanwhile, there has been a debate over taking a vaccine to prevent the infection. K.K. Purushothaman, professor, MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, points out that two types of effective vaccines are available against hepatitis A. One of them has to be taken twice with an interval of six months. Each dose costs around ₹1,800. Another is a single-dose vaccine that costs around ₹2,000. Dr. Purushothaman, however, is of the opinion that not every one may be able to afford to get vaccinated. He said that effective intervention in the public health sector to avoid contamination of water and food is the best way to control the situation.

Published - November 13, 2024 11:34 pm IST