Diarrhoea outbreak in pilgrim city claims two lives

Tirupati: In a tragic turn of events on Tuesday, diarrhoea outbreak in the pilgrim city claimed two lives and affected several others. The deceased, along with 16 other mentally challenged individuals, were residents at the non-governmental organisation PASS (People's Action for Social Service) Manovikas residential campus for the mentally disabled located at Padmavathipuram in the city.

The affected individuals were shifted to Ruia hospital, where Seshachalam (16) and Ganapati (30) succumbed to the illness while the remaining patients continued to receive treatment.

Collector Dr S Venkateswar, RDO Nishanth Kumar, DM&HO Dr U Sreehari and other officials promptly visited Ruia hospital to monitor the situation. Dr Venkateswar ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident and assured that the condition of the 16 remaining patients is stable, with specialist doctors providing necessary treatment. He directed the hospital authorities to shift two of them to SVIMS for better medical care. The outbreak occurred at PASS Manovikas, where 72 individuals, in the age group of six to 45 years, are provided shelter. The illness began after the residents consumed food on July 6, leading to symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. Initial treatments of Metrozel and ORS packets were provided, but as conditions worsened, the affected individuals were shifted to Ruia hospital on Monday.

Dr Venkateswar expressed his sorrow over the incident, noting that it was particularly unfortunate given the district administration's ongoing efforts to control diarrhoea. In response, a special medical camp was organised at the residential school to prevent further spread of the disease among the other inmates.

During his visit to the residential school, the Collector emphasised the importance of maintaining clean premises and providing pure water and food to the residents. He directed staff to regularly disinfect the premises with bleaching agents. RDO Nishanth Reddy, DM&HO Dr U Sreehari, Ruia hospital superintendent Dr G Ravi Prabhu, PASS Manovikas general secretary Balakrishna Murthy, Principal Muralikrishna and others were present.

Earlier, the DM&HO said that an investigation team including professors from the Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), Microbiology, Medicine, Surgery and Pediatric departments, along with a food inspector visited PASS Manovikas to collect samples of oil and water used at the facility.

This devastating incident highlighted the need for heightened vigilance and proactive measures in managing health crises, especially within vulnerable communities.

The outbreak occurred despite the ongoing 'Stop Diarrhea' campaign across the State, underscoring the critical need for continuous health monitoring and intervention.