Water contamination in Amit Shah’s constituency: Typhoid breaks out

Ahmedabad: The number of suspected typhoid infections linked to a leak in a water pipeline in Gandhinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha constituency, has risen to 108, with 18 new suspected cases reported, officials said on Monday, PTI reported.

One person was reported dead due to water contamination.

Authorities claimed that the issue of water contamination has now been fully resolved, with multiple teams working on the ground.

"At present, 108 patients with suspected typhoid are admitted to our hospital, including 18 new patients admitted today. Of these, 50 have tested Widal positive, while 25 patients have been discharged after treatment. The two deaths reported today were not linked to the typhoid outbreak, as they occurred due to other causes,” said Dr Meeta Parikh, Medical Superintendent of Gandhinagar Civil Hospital, during a press conference.

She added that several tests, including the Widal test and blood culture analysis, are being conducted on suspected patients to confirm typhoid infection. Blood samples from the two deceased patients have also been sent for blood culture tests to determine whether their deaths were linked to typhoid.

The outbreak of the water-borne disease has been reported from Sectors 24 and 28, as well as the Adivada area of Gandhinagar, and was caused by a leaking water pipeline a few days ago, according to the government.

"The district administration and the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation have formed teams to resolve the issue. The water contamination problem has been completely addressed. Yesterday, 367 water samples were collected, and all test results were satisfactory,” Sanghavi told reporters.

He further said that a team of 22 doctors, including five MD specialists, has been deployed to monitor and treat suspected patients.