The Health Department has confirmed 28 cases of Hepatitis B out of about 500 samples taken from the Ooramana and Ramamangalam areas of eastern Ernakulam.The survey was done following reports of an outbreak of Hepatitis B virus infection from these areas.
Earlier, the Health Department had found six positive cases of Hepatitis B out of the 16 samples tested. The rising numbers have taken many by surprise since Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis A and E, seldom results in an outbreak.
The disease is known to spread only by direct transfusion of blood, sexual contact or use of infected needles etc.
“The rising number of Hepatitis B can’t be called an outbreak since it’s not the nature of the disease to result in an outbreak. A team from the Community Health Department of Kottayam has already visited the site and the samples are being tested. Though there are rumours of a new strain of virus there is no evidence to confirm it,” said the DMO in-charge of Ernakulam, Dr Haseena Muhammad. The doctors in the area, meanwhile, voice a different opinion.
“The number of Hepatitis B cases from the area has been going up since last November. In my 40 years of experience, I have never seen such a rapid increase in the number of cases of the disease from a particular area. It can’t be called alarming, but the fact that it’s being reported from the same area needs to be investigated,” said Dr Chandy Paul, a retired doctor from the Directorate of Health Services.