What's behind the surge in typhoid cases in Delhi?

New Delhi: The monsoon season is still far away, but many typhoid cases are being reported in the national capital.

Usually, monsoon-related flooding increases the risk of waterborne diseases, including typhoid. Caused by Styptic bacteria, which is transmitted through consuming contaminated water and food, typhoid is very common during monsoons.

As per status report of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), at least 80 cases of chikungunya and 30 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi in just four months since January 1, 2017.

The surge in the number of fever cases has worried the Delhi High Court, who asked the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to provide potable water as drinking bad quality water increases the risk.

“A lot of typhoid cases are being reported in Delhi, which comes from drinking bad quality water,” a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said.

"We want to be guided on the statutory regime," said the bench asking the Delhi government and civic authorities to submit the statutory rules and regulations to ascertain who can be held responsible for ensuring that the court's directions are complied with,

The court said it was considering forming a high-level committee to monitor the work done to prevent vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

The court's direction came on two PILs accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government and the three municipal corporations of not acting vigilantly and responsibly in tackling mosquito-borne diseases.

The court also said that it wanted the civic agencies to begin prevention work early this year, so that measures are in place before the monsoon hit the capital.

According to the data, 4,431 cases of dengue were reported in 2016 and the number of chikungunya cases stood at 9,749 -- one of the worst outbreak for the disease till now.

Most common symptom of typhoid is prolonged fever, severe pain in abdomen and headache.

Because typhoid infection can remain in the gall bladder of the patient even after it is cured, infected persons should take precautionary measures post recovery as well. Patients should also continue high intake of fluid to prevent dehydration.

Taking basic actions can help you protect from typhoid fever - avoiding risky food and drinks, getting vaccinated against typhoid fever, etc.

Typhoid, if caught early, can be successfully treated with antibiotics, else, it can be fatal. Try seeking immediate medical help if you have fever and feel very ill.

(With IANS inputs)