BENGALURU: Rising mercury in the city has led to an increase in the number of gastroenteritis cases, say doctors. They point to water contamination – as certain bacteria multiply faster in water during the warm weather – as one of the reasons for this sudden rise. “In the past two to three weeks, ever since the temperature has increased, I find more patients suffering from gastroenteritis. One of the sources is the poor quality of water people consume, especially that from private tankers. The weather is favourable for certain gut bacteria such as e.coli present in water and food, which are the source of infection,” said Dr Yogesh Gupta, paediatrician, Fortis Hospitals.
“To beat the heat, several children and adults drink buttermilk and other fruit juices. And the water used to make these are not always clean or boiled. This leads to symptoms of gastroententeritis such as diarrohea, vomitting, stomach pain, etc,” Dr Gupta added.
The prevalence of such cases is likely to go on in the following two months as people are exposed to contaminated water. This also applies to food that may not be fresh and contain the same kind of bacteria. Dr Pankaj Singhai, senior consultant at Internal Medicines department of Manipal Hospitals said bacteria and parasites can be present even within the aqua guard used at homes, as the climate is conducive for their development. “The summer has started early this time, with the city becoming warmer since January. I see four to five cases of gastroenteritis per week, as opposed to seeing the same number per month. I advise people to have their aquaguards at home cleaned every month and stay away from fruit juices they consume outside,” Singhai explained.
Gastroenteritis leads to dehydration and normally lasts for four to five days. While adults are susceptible to this, children are more prone to it due to weaker immunity. Dr S Manohar, director and head of department, Internal Medicine at Sakra World Hospital said that in areas where access to clean water is a problem, is where people are more likely to fall sick with gastroenteritis. “I see an increase in the number of patients suffering from this, by 30 per cent. People think drinking buttermilk is good for them in this weather but they don’t know the source of water being used to prepare the same. Even the water used in pani-puris and other street food are breeding grounds for bacteria that thrive in the summer,” he said.
Doctors recommend sticking to fresh tender coconut water, raw fruits over salad and drinking boiled water at home. In addition, hand hygiene needs to be maintained while preparing food, as the germs can pass on to what we consume from there too. According to experts, sanitation plays a key role in preventing gastroenteritis.