Parts of Gujarat's Kalol town declared cholera affected after 4 cases reported

Parts of Kalol in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district have been declared cholera affected after four cases were detected in the past few days, in the second such outbreak in the town since 2021, officials said on Friday.

The affected persons are being treated and stable, though authorities have come across 11 more suspected cases in the town, they said.

A notification declaring the area in a 2-kilometre radius as cholera affected was issued on Thursday by Gandhinagar Collector Hitesh Koya under the Epidemic Diseases Act for a period of one month, they said.

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Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It can cause severe diarrhoea, dehydration and prove fatal if untreated.

In Kalol, the disease is suspected to have started due to contaminated water, said the official, stressing that the exact reason behind the four cases will be known after an investigation.

As per the notification, the localities declared as cholera affected include Jumma Masjid, Matvakuva, Bangladeshi Chhapra, Anjuman Wadi and Gulistan Park.

“We have already deployed health teams to conduct a survey to find suspected cases, if any. We have also informed all government as well as private hospitals in Kalol to keep a close watch on patients and inform the authorities if they come across any suspected case,” said Koya.

This is the second cholera outbreak in Kalol in two years. In July 2021, some parts of the town were declared cholera-affected after cases were reported.

An investigation showed that contamination of drinking water due to leakage or rupture in underground pipelines had resulted in the spread of disease.