20 die in Gujarat Hepatitis outbreak

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat is in the grip of the deadly Hepatitis B virus. Sabarkantha is just 2 hours away from Ahmedabad. At least 20 have died in Modasa taluka in the district in the past 2 weeks. The scare has the state and centre on edge.Over 70 patients have come in from all over Sabarkantha district, some of them have slipped into coma,19 others have died.Shockingly, the spread could have been prevented. The government has filed an FIR, naming seven doctors for using infected syringes.A patient's relative says: "They said private hospitals have been using infected needles."A Central team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases that visited Modasa says the situation is critical. Some patients have tested positive for Hepatitis D, increasing the risk to patients. Like HIV, Hepatitits B spreads through blood and unsafe sex. But is 100 times more infectious than HIV and spreads much faster. "The situation is serious. We have asked for central government's help," says a doctor. According to the World Health Organisation, 63% of syringes in India are unsafe because they re-used. And, in Modasa it appears to be a common practice.

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