The outbreak of diarrhoea was reported in Renigunta and Vadamalapeta mandals, with 11 people undergoing treatment in SVRR Hospital at Tirupati, while two deaths were reported, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained.
Medical authorities said another 60 patients suffering from diarrhoea were provided treatment and were either discharged from hospitals or treated as outpatients.
District Medical and Health Officer U. Sree Hari told The Hindu that an expert committee was formed and the officials had rushed to the affected localities. The official said that of the two deaths, one was that of a man aged above 90 with multiple health complications. “The cause of the deaths is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
Deputy DMHO P. Ravi Raju inspected the localities around Vadamalapeta mandal headquarters on Wednesday, after seven cases were reported from the area. He said that water and food contamination was likely to be cause for the outbreak. Due to incessant rains in Chittoor district for the last one week, coupled with the heavy rain alert on November 11 and 12, the official urged people to drink boiled water and avoid junk food and those stored in the refrigerators for long.
He said that, in coordination with the civic authorities, the broken and leaking water pipelines would be repaired immediately. Dr. Ravi Raju warned the public in low-lying areas prone to water-logging to be doubly cautious and avoid unprotected drinking water.
Meanwhile, heavy downpour was reported in the eastern parts of the district on Wednesday, while the sky remained cloudy from the afternoon with intermittent drizzle. In view of heavy rainfall warning in the next 48 hours, the district administration had put the revenue and police personnel on alert in Satyavedu, Varadaiahpalem, BN Kandriga and KVB Puram mandals.
In Chittoor, Municipal Commissioner P. Viswanath formed a special team to inspect the residential localities along the Neeva river, which reported steady inflows since a couple of days. He cautioned the residents to be careful and move to the rehabilitation centres as and when the situation warranted.
