Check water-borne diseases: NICED to hold joint surveillance with 3 state hosps

kolkata: The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), a Centre-owned institution is all set to conduct joint surveillance with the state health department to check water-borne diseases in the rainy season after two cholera cases have recently been reported.

The NICED will join hands with the Beliaghata ID Hospital, BC Roy Children Hospital, Bidhannagar District Hospital to carry out the surveillance to check if water borne diseases are spread in any areas. The NICED will work in coordination with three state government hospitals. The NICED conducts surveillance during the rainy season as various water borne diseases are spread in those areas which see a heavy inundation.

The NICED along with other hospitals will carry out a survey in various pockets where water borne diseases are reported every year. The main purpose of the joint surveillance is to ensure if there is any germ of cholera, salmonella, typhus or other bacteria that are prevalent in any area. These germs normally appear during the rainy season. NICED carries out various surveys throughout the state to find out if there are any infectious diseases germs prevalent in any particular area.

The process had been hampered in the past two years due to Covid.

According to sources, surveillance on water borne diseases could not be carried out in the state in the past two years due to high Covid infection. Two cholera cases have been reported from North Kolkata and North 24-Parganas each. Last year many people were affected with cholera in North 24-Parganas' Kamarhati area. Many patients had been admitted to hospital during that time. A 62-year-old man was recently affected with cholera in Dunlop. He was diagnosed with the disease on time and recovered after medication. Another Cholera case was reported in Shyambazar as well.