Contaminated toddy cause of Hepatitis-A outbreak

KOCHI: The expert team which looked into the  spreading of Hepatitis-A at Varappetty and  Kuttampuzha areas in Ernakulam district has submitted its report blaming contaminated toddy for the outbreak. At the same time casting suspicion on the report by the authorities, the disease has spread to other areas like Perumbavoor, Kunnathunad and Muvattupuzha.Contaminated water and food items shared by the victims are the reasons for the spreading the disease, the report says. “It is men rather than women who are afflicted   with the disease. That is why the team has arrived at the conclusion that contaminated toddy may be the reason for the spread of the disease,” an official with the Health Department said. But the District Medical Officer said the team is yet to submit its report officially. According to the findings by the state epidemiologist who conducted an inquiry into the incident, the main reason may be the contaminated toddy. Another reason is having food from wayside eateries, said DMO Dr Sudhakaran. “Now, the disease is under control in the eastern parts like Varappetty and Kuttampuzha. As the virus causing the diseases can’t exist  outside human body, we can’t assess the reasons indirectly,” he said.As of now, 124 cases have been reported from Varappetty while the total number of cases reported from Pallarimangalam is 37, the DMO said. Ten and six cases have been reported from Vengola, near Perumbavoor, and Muvattupuzha respectively. Moreover, sporadic cases have been reported from Mulanthuruthy,  Tripunithura, Elanji and Kalloorkkad, Dr Sudhakaran said. Though experts from Alappuzha Medical College  conducted an inquiry into the incidents of Hepatitis-B, the report is still in the making. It was from Maneed in Piravom that Hepatitis B cases were reported. The data collected through the surveys at Maneed is yet to be scrutinised, sources said.