430 diarrhoea patients hospitalised in Ctg in 10 days

Diarrhoea has spread among the residents of Chattogram city, especially in five areas as at least 430 diarrhoea patients were admitted to the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Fauzdarhat from 15 August to 24 August. 

The patients include men, women, and children of different ages, and they are mostly from Freeport, EPZ, Patenga, Halishahar, North Agrabad and surrounding areas.

Dr Md Mamunur Rashid, associate professor of BITID, said since 15 August, increasing numbers of patients with diarrhoea were admitted to the hospital. 

Out of stool samples from 93 patients, cholera germs have been found in 42 samples, he said. 

However, no patients admitted to hospital have died, he added. 

Sujan Barua, Chattogram district health supervisor, said, "Diarrhoea is usually a water-borne disease often aggravated by heat. We assume most people affected do not boil water before drinking it. Moreover, the mentioned areas are often inundated by the tidal waters of the Bay of Bengal which may also be a factor." 

He said they were working on determining what caused the rise in diarrhoea patients. 

"A research team from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) came from Dhaka to investigate the matter and collected samples. Now we do not know what they have got. If the report is submitted to the ministry, the details will be given in a press conference from there," said Sujan.

Earlier, there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in the same areas in the third week of May and these diarrhea-prone areas are often flooded by tidal waters during the full moon. 

Whether the water supply lines of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) mix with sewerage lines will also be looked into, the authorities concerned said.