Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health

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Volume 8, Issue 3-4, December 2018, Pages 203 - 207

Hepatitis A and E Outbreak Surveillance during 2015–2017 in Kashmir, India: Is the Water to Blame?

Authors
Syed Manzoor Kadri1, Saleem-ur-Rehman2, Kausar Rehana3, Despoina-Rafailia Benetou4, Dar Farooz Ahmad5, Afshan Abdullah6, Vijay Kumar Chattu7, *
1Department of Communicable Diseases, Kashmir, India
2Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, India
3Division of Epidemiology, Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, India
4University of Athens, Athens, Greece
5Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Kashmir, India
6Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Barzulla, Kashmir, India
7Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
* Corresponding author. Emails: vijay.chattu@sta.uwi.edu; vkchattu@gmail.com
Corresponding Author
Vijay Kumar Chattu
Received 22 March 2018, Accepted 28 August 2018, Available Online 31 December 2018.
DOI
10.2991/j.jegh.2018.04.101How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Fecal–oral route; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis E; sanitary measures; water contamination
Abstract

Waterborne diseases, such as hepatitis A and E, are a major public health concern in most developing countries, indicating the need for proper outbreak prevention, surveillance, and timely management. This study presents data regarding the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis A and E outbreaks as well as water quality in Kashmir, India, during 2015–2017. Hepatitis outbreaks were initially investigated by rapid response teams, under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme. Suspected cases were further evaluated by blood sampling to confirm the disease along with water sampling evaluation. Between 2015 and 2017, 23 disease outbreaks were recorded; among these, four outbreaks occurred in 2015, 12 in 2016, and seven in 2017. Specifically, 12 of the total outbreaks were concerned with hepatitis A infection, 10 concerned hepatitis E infection, and one involved eight cases of jaundice with neither hepatitis A virus nor hepatitis A virus detected in blood sampling. Overall, during the aforementioned period, 393 cases of hepatitis A or E were detected. Regarding water quality, which was evaluated using the most probable number method for counting coliform, 38 of 50 water samples were found to be unfit for human consumption and one source was found to be suspicious. This study of prevalence and epidemiology of hepatitis A and E along with its relationship with water quality and socioeconomic factors, such as poor hygiene and lack of access to safe water, aids toward the implementation of effective preventive sanitary measures and public health actions.

Copyright
© 2018 Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/4.0/).

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<Previous Article In Issue
Next Article In Issue>
Journal
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
Volume-Issue
8 - 3-4
Pages
203 - 207
Publication Date
2018/12/31
ISSN (Online)
2210-6014
ISSN (Print)
2210-6006
DOI
10.2991/j.jegh.2018.04.101How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2018 Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Syed Manzoor Kadri
AU  - Saleem-ur-Rehman
AU  - Kausar Rehana
AU  - Despoina-Rafailia Benetou
AU  - Dar Farooz Ahmad
AU  - Afshan Abdullah
AU  - Vijay Kumar Chattu
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/12/31
TI  - Hepatitis A and E Outbreak Surveillance during 2015–2017 in Kashmir, India: Is the Water to Blame?
JO  - Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
SP  - 203
EP  - 207
VL  - 8
IS  - 3-4
SN  - 2210-6014
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/j.jegh.2018.04.101
DO  - 10.2991/j.jegh.2018.04.101
ID  - Kadri2018
ER  -