At least 17 cases of jaundice have surfaced in Ward No. 2 of Sundernagar Municipal Council in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, over the last few days, officials said on Friday. The outbreak has created panic among residents of Sundernagar and nearby areas. One person has been admitted to the local Community Health Centre.
According to local residents, several students of an ITI have also shown symptoms of jaundice. However, officials are yet to confirm the exact number. The Executive Engineer of Jal Shakti Division Sundernagar, Rajat Garg, said the department has been collecting water samples from multiple locations, including the affected areas, since May 11.
“None of the water samples from the Jal Shakti Department’s supply were found contaminated,” he added. However, the inquiry found that the affected people were using water from three natural water sources, which have now been sealed by the department, he added.
The department also collected samples from several educational institutions on Friday and instructed authorities to clean water tanks. He said the department has initiated an awareness campaign asking residents to use water only from official supply schemes and to boil water before drinking.
The Health Department has also started a separate awareness drive to control the situation. Earlier, a jaundice outbreak was reported in the Gohar area during February and March. The situation was brought under control after continuous awareness and monitoring campaigns carried out over three months.
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