Jamnagar (Gujarat), February 11 Five patients hospitalised in Jamnagar have tested positive for cholera, bringing the total number of cases to 20 so far, an official said on Wednesday.
The infection is suspected to have spread through contaminated drinking water, linked to leaks in underground water pipelines.
Officials emphasised that no deaths have been reported due to cholera.
"No new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours; however, the lab results received after 48 hours confirmed that five of the admitted patients tested positive for cholera," Collector K.B. Thakkar of Jamnagar told PTI.
The overall number of cases now stands at 20, the collector said, adding that the patients are under treatment.
As many as 37 people from the Dhararnagar locality in Jamnagar, who were suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, have been admitted to the hospital since February 8. Among them, 15 were found to be infected with cholera on Tuesday, while the results for the others were still pending.
Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) Medical Officer Haresh Gori had earlier stated that the disease was suspected to have been caused by contaminated drinking water, linked to leaks in the underground pipeline.
The civic body was repairing the leaks urgently, he said on Tuesday, adding that the water supply in the area had been temporarily stopped as a precautionary measure.
According to Gori, several residents in the Dhararnagar locality had illegal water connections and were using the underground sewer network to lay pipelines.
Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, primarily spread through consuming food or water contaminated with faeces from an infected person, leading to severe diarrhoea and dehydration.
