MANSEHRA, July 29: Cases of gastroenteritis are on the rise in Mansehra district as a young man died and hundreds other patients were admitted to hospitals, it is learnt.

Hospital sources said Shaukat Hussein, 22, a resident of Kaghan, died in the Mansehra district headquarters hospital (DHQ) on Sunday.

They said that in three tehsils of the district, Mansehra, Oghi and Balakot, and the tribal area of Kala Dhaka, hundreds of people suffering from gastroenteritis had been admitted to hospitals and a majority of them was children.

They said that over one hundred patients were brought to the out-patient department daily in the DHQ hospital and most of them were admitted to various wards.

A doctor on duty said that recent wave of high cases of the disease would be continued by mid of August and during this tenure people must be very much cautious about the disease.

He said that they should not use eatables sold in markets.

He said that the ratio of gastroenteritis cases was high as compare to the other segments as children mostly used unhygienic things sold in bazaars.

Dr Mohammad Naeem, a child specialist, said: “Most of the people in Mansehra district drink contaminated water and it is better that water should be boiled before consumption.”

He said: “Most of the patients suffering from gastroenteritis are brought very late to the hospital when they could have lost their fluid in the body.”