Ernakulam records highest number of hepatitis A cases in Kerala

Over the past two months, Ernakulam district has seen a considerable number of hepatitis A cases, registering the highest number of cases in the State with more than 150 cases being reported every month. In March alone, within a span of 16 days, more than 80 cases were reported.

According to medical professionals, the cases are high in the district due to unhealthy practices like improper cooking and use of unboiled water.

Expressing concern over the spike in hepatitis A cases, Dr. G. Sathyajith Nair, secretary of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (Kochi branch), warned of an increase and potential spread of the disease. “The disease spreads via fecal-oral route. Poor hygiene, especially among workers, can transfer pathogens through food in canteens, hotels, eateries, and bakeries. The upcoming monsoon season could exacerbate the spread,” he said. Dr. Nair emphasised that proper hygiene and vaccination are key to preventing the spread of the disease and expressed concern over the LPG crisis which could lead to restaurants serving inadequately cooked food.

Dr. Minu Mohan, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Ernakulam, said consumption of unboiled water, lack of regular chlorination of water sources, and poor hygiene were the reasons for the spread.

“Last year, we had multiple outbreaks of water- and food-borne diseases across the district. As we step into the summer season, the number of cases could go up as most people would consume cold drinks to beat the summer heat,” said Dr. Mohan.

In Kalamassery, one of the regions that reported Hepatitis A outbreak last year, health officials are fully prepared. “Kalamassery has a floating population, and diseases are mostly brought in by this moving population. Hepatitis A cases are always reported in the locality regardless of the season. We have carried mass chlorination drives, besides imparting health education,” said a health official.

Dr. K.G. Jayan, former head of the Department of General Medicine at General Hospital, Ernakulam, urged people to remain alert during summer and the onset of the monsoon. During peak summer, water scarcity often forces people to rely on untreated water, he said.