NEW DELHI: With the onset of monsoon, Delhi-NCR is witnessing a worrying rise in the number of hepatitis A and E cases. Hospitals have reported a sharp rise in OPD consultations for jaundice, abdominal pain and vomiting with cases rising 40 per cent of disease burden there.
Dr Abhideep Chaudhary, head of the department of HPB and liver transplantation at the BLK-Max Hospital, said, “In our OPD, we have seen around 40 per cent increase in acute viral hepatitis cases over the past three weeks alone.
Many of these patients were unaware of the need for hepatitis vaccination, especially those moving from rural to urban settlements. Hepatitis A and E are largely preventable diseases, yet we see a surge every monsoon due to poor awareness and unsafe water consumption.”
Dr Monika Jain, director, department of liver diseases and GI sciences, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute and Action cancer hospital, concurred. “In monsoon, we see around 30 per cent jump in cases,” she said.
The hepatitis A and E viruses, transmitted through contaminated food and water, tend to see seasonal spikes during monsoon due to poor sanitation, waterlogging and compromised hygiene standards.
According to estimates from the Liver Transplant Society of India (LTSI) and hospital-based surveillance data, more than 70 per cent of waterborne hepatitis cases in India during monsoon are attributable to hepatitis E, while hepatitis A remains highly prevalent among children under 15.
LTSI president Dr Sanjiv Saigal, “We witness a seasonal epidemic every year and yet we are caught off guard every time. These infections are entirely preventable with clean drinking water, proper food handling and vaccination in high-risk groups,” he added.
Chairperson has also appealed to citizens to maintain cleanliness in their area.
IMD forcasts rain in city next week
Despite forecasts, Delhi remained mostly dry on Monday with no recorded rainfall at Safdarjung and several other stations. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said light to moderate rain is still likely across the city over the next few days. All 11 districts of Delhi and NCR regions including Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon are likely to receive rain till Friday, says experts.