NEW DELHI: The fear of an epidemic outbreak in flood-ravaged areas of Uttarakhand may be turning into reality as hundreds of people from local villages reported to medical camps set up by the forces complaining of fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. At least 128 people reported high temperature and gastro-intestinal infections in Ramnagar — a tiny village near Guptkashi in Kedarnath valley — through Monday and Tuesday. Three ITBP men engaged in rescue work in Kedarnath have also reported sick.
Authorities are now suspecting contamination of water resources in the area due to hundreds of decaying bodies spread across the valley.
Although medical camps set up by ITBP, NDRF and armed forces are already helping victims with medicines, the Centre is sending a high-level team comprising doctors and specialists to Uttarakhand to review public health measures.
Though the situation is not being seen by the government as alarming as no outbreak of water/air borne or direct contact diseases has been reported so far, cases of diarrhoea in areas such as Alwalpur (Haridwar), Udvi (Uuttakashi) and Chandrapuri (Rudraprayag) have been brought to the notice of local medical support teams. The government, however, claims to have managed them at "incipient stage" after picking up early warning signals.
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