Cholera cases have been on the rise the city for the past three weeks, especially among the residents of North Chennai, with many patients being treated in hospitals for the intestines-affecting bacterial disease. Doctors attribute the trigger to consumption of contaminated water amid rains and water-logging.

There has been a spurt in cholera patients and some of the cases had been severe owing to a mix-up of drinking water and sewage water said Dr Mohana Kumar of Ezhil hospital in Tondiarpet confirmed on Tuesday. There are at least three confirmed cases of cholera every week. The affected age group ranges from 5 to 55 years,” he said.

Cholera outbreak has been severe in areas like Vysarpadi, Tiruvotriyur, Tondiarpet and other areas in North Chennai. A Communicable Diseases Hospital source in Tondiarpet said that in the last one week I have seen more than 20 persons getting admitted with serious diarrhoeal disorder, and that a few of them did test positive for cholera.

August alone has reported 166 cases of cholera. The main reason is unhygienic water supply system he said a senior official from the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

The Civic authorities have been very careless. Instead of bringing measures after the outbreak of the disease they must take preventive measures before the outbreak said a patient at the Government General Hospital.

Several acute diarrhoeal infections are leading to cholera said Dr C Rajendran, HoD, Internal Medicine, and Government General Hospital.