Five samples sent to NPHL for further confirmation
KATHMANDU, Aug 3: Dozens of people of Kuleshwar area of Kathmandu have been infected with diarrheal infection at once making doctors suspect a cholera outbreak in the capital.The Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), Teku informed that over 50 diarrheal patients from Kuleshwar area have been admitted to the hospital on Saturday and Sunday alone. Doctors at the hospital fear that more people could have been infected with the disease. All the diarrheal patients brought to the hospital were rushed there in critical stage, according to the hospital.
"We suspect cholera outbreak in Kuleshwar area, as most of the patients have similar symptoms," Dr Sher Bahadur Pun of the STIDH, said. He informed that the hospital has conducted hanging drop test of the stool samples of five of the suspected patients and the results were positive. The samples have been sent to the National Public Health Laboratory for further confirmation. The hanging drop technique is a well-established method for examining living, unstained, very small organisms.
"We have sent the samples to the National Public Health Laboratory of the Department of Health Services for the further confirmation.
According to Dr Pun, doctors at the hospital suspected spread of cholera in the settlement. "Some patients were brought to the hospital in unconscious stage," informed Dr Pun. He suspected that contaminated water might be responsible.
He informed that in the last couple of days cases of diarrheal infections have risen at the hospital. The hospital has also started a gastro unit targeting patients infected with diarrheal diseases. The hospital informed that all the beds at the gastro unit have been occupied by diarrheal patients and health workers have shifted many patients to other units of the hospital.
A study carried out by several agencies under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and Nepal Army Medical Corps following the massive earthquake claims that population of earthquake hit districts including Kathmandu Valley are vulnerable to various epidemics including diarrheal epidemic.
MoHP, which carried out the post-quake risk assessment in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Gorkha, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and Kavrepalanchowk districts from April 30 to May 24 found that 74 percent water samples collected from the affected districts are unfit for drinking.
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