Hepatitis A outbreak relentless across Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 19: The cases of Hepatitis A, a water-borne disease, have surged relentlessly across Kashmir this year, with hospitals in various districts seeing a steady influx of pediatric patients.

According to doctors, recent rainfall has significantly intensified the outbreak and patients are now flooding even the Children's Hospital Kashmir.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Head Department of Pediatrics, GMC Srinagar, Prof Muzaffar Jan said Hepatitis A cases were regularly reported from across the districts of Kashmir for the past eight months. He said even Srinagar district was now affected by the viral infection.

“Earlier, we had most of the cases from Shopian and Kulgam, now Kupwara, Bandipora, and every other district is affected,” he said.

Medical Superintendent Children's Hospital Bemina, Dr Abdul Rasheed Parra acknowledged that the number of cases of Hepatitis A received and treated at the hospital was “huge”.

“We have an influx of patients from across Kashmir, and we have seen that this year, the number of cases is unusual,” he said.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). It spreads through the consumption of contaminated food or water. It is a water-borne disease often associated with poor sanitation and hygiene. Common symptoms are fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice and fever. Unlike other forms of hepatitis, Hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease, but it can lead to severe symptoms. Hepatitis A vaccine, though not part of the routine immunisation programme in India, is available in the market and is considered the best prevention method.

Prof Jan said that the recent rainfall caused cases to spike due to possible contamination of water sources.

He said that many people do not consume clean water and the common drinking water sources get contaminated during rainfall when fecal matter finds its way into water bodies.

“It is important to maintain proper hand hygiene and consume clean, uncontaminated water. Water must be boiled for at least 10 minutes before consuming,” Prof Jan said.

He said that parents should ensure that their children wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet.

A senior doctor from the district Shopian said that jaundice caused by Hepatitis A was “rampant” in the district.

“We see 5 to 7 cases every day and the number of cases has indeed gone up recently,” he said.

Earlier this week, reports of a Hepatitis outbreak in Bandipora were received, following which door-to-door surveillance was taken up, clubbed with identifying the contaminated sources of water.

“Although there are many water supply schemes in Kashmir, clean drinking water is inaccessible to most households as water is supplied without any purification treatment, except occasional chlorination,” a doctor said.

In August last year, a 10-year-old child lost life in a Hepatitis-affected village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

He had reportedly been suffering from jaundice.