MULTAN, May 11: Thirty-five more gastroenteritis patients were admitted to the Nishtar Hospital during the last 48 hours. Dr Fahim, director of emergency ward, said on Thursday with the rise in temperature the cases of gastroenteritis were increasing.

“The actual cause of the malady is not just the weather, but dust, pollution and intake of unhygienic edibles, substandard beverages and dust-covered sliced fruit such as watermelons,” he said.

He observed that water used for ice making in factories was another important factor for stomach problems as it was often unfit for human consumption. It should be checked and analysed by the district health authorities.

He said the streets littered with waste and filth were breeding points for flies which were one of the major sources of the spread of this communicable diseases.

“People eating sliced fruit or drinking sherbets, ‘lassi’ and sugarcane juice from roadside vendors are ingesting dust and bacteria, and are vulnerable to various diseases, including gastroenteritis,” he added.

He urged the health and municipal authorities to take action against vendors selling sliced fruit and cooked edibles.

“Of course people should avoid direct exposure to the sun and should take plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration,” he said.

Last year, some 4,000 gastroenteritis patients were treated at the emergency and children wards of Nishtar Hospital in two months (June and July), when it had almost touched epidemic proportions, he concluded.—APP