Cholera alert

NEW DELHI, July 9: A confirmed case of cholera was reported at a private hospital in north Delhi today, two other cases are suspected to have surfaced in east and west Delhi respectively.

Kanchan Kumar, a 32-year-old man from Azamgarh, was today admitted to the Tirath Ram Shah Hospital in a serious condition, suffering from acute diarrhoea and shock. The doctors said he could have acquired the infection in Delhi itself as he had been staying at a guest house here for the past 15 days. This is a cause for alarm since it suggests that the infection is lurking in the Capital.

Though the disease is endemic, it had turned into a major epidemic causing several casualties in Delhi a few years ago. It is characterised by rice water stools and a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can prove to be fatal. The disease spreads due to water and food contamination and requires urgent medical attention.