Diarrhoea outbreak: 421 new patients hospitalised in Ctg; 35% have cholera infection

Chattogram has been struggling with an outbreak of diarrhoea with 421 new patients hospitalised across the city in the last 24 hours till 12pm Friday.

What is more alarming, 30-35% of the patients have the cholera bacteria in their bodies, according to the district Civil Surgeon's office, which has opened a control room to monitor the situation.

District Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammed Elias Chowdhury has instructed the authorities concerned to keep medical teams ready at union level and upazila health complexes to deal with emergency situations.

At the same time, all healthcare facilities have been asked to stock sufficient oral saline, medicine and medical supplies.

The civil surgeon said, "Soon after the beginning of the month of Baisakh, the number of diarrhoea patients started increasing in Chattogram. Certain places with water containing germs saw higher diarrhoea cases last year. The scenario is different this year with diarrhoea cases reported everywhere, not in any specific place." 

He said there is no substitute for cleanliness to avoid diarrhoea.

According to the Chattogram Civil Surgeon office, 264 diarrhoea patients were admitted to different hospitals in 14 upazilas of Chattogram. 

Besides, 37 diarrhoea patients were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital followed by 50 to Chittagong Mother and Child Hospital and 70 to Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) Hospital located in Faujdarhat, Sitakunda.

According to the BITID hospital sources, 476 diarrhoea patients were admitted to the hospital from 28 April to 4 May among whom 125 were diagnosed with cholera infection.

BITID Hospital Associate Professor Dr Mamunur Rashid said, "The number of diarrhoea patients has been on the rise for the last two weeks. Now 65-70 patients are being hospitalised every day. Out of them, 25-30 percent and sometimes up to 40% of diarrhoea patients have cholera germs in their bodies."