CHATTOGRAM, June 27: Amid reports of death of three persons reportedly by jaundice and hepatitis-E virus the Chattogram City Corporation authority has formed a three- member committee to find out causes of hepatitis.
The committee headed by Dr Bidyut Dasgupta of the CCC is expected to submit its findings by Thursday morning, following which necessary steps will be taken, said the CCC health department officials.
Dr Mohammed Ali of the CCC Health Department said locals in Halishahar area in the city have alleged that the deaths were caused by drinking water supplied by the Chattogram WASA over the last few days.
The people are anxious and scared about probable spread of the hepatitis-E virus and jaundice following reports of death of three persons at Halishahar on the north-west of the city, he said.
"Our investigation team has already started its work in the area. The committee has been asked to submit its report latest by Thursday morning".
Regarding allegations of the existence of bacteria in the piped water the authority in the Chattagram WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority) said the deaths might not be caused by water-borne diseases.
Despite that, the CWASA has started conducting searches if there is any leakage anywhere in the water supply pipeline.
Meanwhile, office of the Civil Surgeon of Chattogram has stepped up awareness about drinking water without boiling and warned the citizens against taking food and drinking water from the roadside food stalls.
Dr Azizur Rahman Siddiqui, Civil Surgeon of Chattogram, said his office has supplied water purification tablets for the residents of Halishahar and also given 10 directives for the city dwellers through circulation of 0.185 million pieces of leaflets containing the precautionary measures.
Chief Health Officer of Chattogram City Corporation Dr Selim Akhtar Chowdhury said after diagnosis of several patients in the local clinics it has been detected that two persons out of three have died of jaundice.
There are reports of 176 people having been attacked by jaundice (hepatitis-E) from April last to this Eid-ul-Fitr vacation. Out of them, three persons have been admitted to the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, nine at Agrabad Ma O Shishu Hospital and 17 at a diagnostic centre in Halishahar area.
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