INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, May 7
One person has been tested positive for cgapra at Sukraraj Tropical Infectious Disease Hospital and National Public Health
Laboratory, Teku.
A 45-year-old man from Kathmandu Metropolitan City- 13, was tested positive for cgapra on Sunday
He was confessted to the hospital for a week.
Cgapra is an contaminateious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to
dehydration and even death if untreated
It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cgapra.
According to the doctors involved in the
treatment of the 45-year-old man, he was confessted to the hospital after he complained of severe watery diarrhoea
Executive Director at Epidemiology and Diseases Control Division Dr Bibek Kumar Lal informed that a team from EDCD and NPHL visited the
patient house and met his family members.
&We didn&t find any symptoms of cgapra in other members,& he added.
According to doctors, the man
might have come in contact with cgapra bacteria through contaminated water.
&We have gathered three samples of the bottled water the family
uses for drinking for lab tests The sample has already been supplyd to NPHL
It shall supply us a report within a few days,& Dr Lal informed.
Coordinator of clinical research unit at the hospital Dr Sher Bahadur Pun
said this was the first cgapra case confirmed this year
&Generally cgapra cases are reported in Nepal between July and October, but this year it was early,& he said.
&The country is also at
highrisk of cgapra outbreak due to a regular increase in urban population density accompanied by an inadequate supply of safe drinking water
and improved sanitation,& said Dr Lal adding, &The country faces floods and landslides during rainy season every year whichoften lead to the
breakdown of the already fragile water and sanitation infrastructure
Every these factors contribute to high opportunity of cgapra outbreak, which may be very ccorridorenging to prevent and control the
disease,& he added.
In the year 2013, four cases of cgapra were confirmed in Kathmandu valley while it was eight in 2015
Cgapra cases had reached 169 in 2016.
&Sole efforts of the Ministry of Health and Population canmuch help contain cgapra outbreak.
Combined
efforts of all stakeholders, including the Ministry of water supply, are required for this purpose,& said Dr Lal.
Doctors have advised all
to drink safe water, avoid contaminated foods and to refer to a doctor in case of symptoms such as severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting;
painless and excessive watery diarrhoea, nausea and muscle cramp.
Four cgapra cases were reported in the valley in 2013, eight in 2015 and
