Nepal’s health ministry says traces of Cholera bacteria have been found in the water used in Paani Puri in Kathmandu
Paani Puri has been banned in the Kathmandu Valley. Pixabay
People of Kathmandu will not be able to savour the world-famous snack Paani Puri. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City in Kathmandu valley has banned the sale of Paani Puri amid an increase in Cholera cases.
According to reports, the health ministry in Nepal said that it found traces of Cholera bacteria in the water used in Paani Puri. Authorities are taking steps to ensure Paani Puri is not sold in crowded as well as in the corridor area since there is an increased threat of spreading Cholera in the valley.
Rise in Cholera cases
With seven new cases of Cholera in Kathmandu, the number of active cases has reached 12, the ministry informed.
Chumanlal Dash, director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, which falls under the umbrella of the health ministry, said out of the seven new cases that have been reported, five have been identified in Kathmandu Metropolis and one each in Chandragiri Municipality and Budhanilkantha Municipality.
All the infected people are currently undergoing treatment at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease hospital located in Teku.
Furthermore, two of the infected people have been treated and discharged.
The ministry has urged people to stay alert and visit the nearest hospital in case anyone experiences any symptoms of Cholera.
What is Cholera?
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection that is caused by ingesting food or water that has been contaminated by a bacteria called Vibrio Cholerae.
As per the World Health Organisation, the disease was first spotted in India during the 19th Century.
From here, it spread across the world, which was followed by six Cholera pandemics.
Symptoms of Cholera include vomiting, thirst, leg cramps, profuse diarrhoea and sometimes restlessness. In extreme cases, patients can experience severe dehydration that can lead to kidney failure.
The symptoms develop between 12 hours to five days after ingesting contaminated food or water.
Cholera transmissions are related to inaccessibility of safe drinking water and poor sanitation. People who are at risk of getting infected include those who live in overcrowded places, slums or camps for displaced people or refugees.
A chronic problem
Nepal has seen many cases of Cholera.
The first recorded Cholera pandemic took place in 1823. A series of epidemics followed in the Kathmandu valley in 1831, 1843, 1856, 1862 and 1887.
As per a Nepali Times report,people were just beginning to understand how to contain widespread diseases. To make things worse, the Nepal government was mostly inept at curbing the spread of the disease.
The country has regularly seen outbreaks during monsoon season.
The largest Cholera outbreak occurred in 2009 in the city of Jajarkot where more than 30,000 people were affected. The outbreak killed more than 500 people.
Although studies have shown that Cholera is in the endemic stage in Nepal, the threat of infection still looms large since the country is seeing a steady increase in population accompanied by inadequate supplies of safe drinking water and high rates of open defecation, as per a report in Stop Cholera.
With inputs from agencies
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