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Nursing and Healthcare 2019
Journal of Primary Care and General Practice | Volume 2
Page 45
OF EXCELLENCE
IN INTERNATIONAL
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March 27-28, 2019 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
NURSING AND HEALTHCARE
Global Conference on
HEPATITIS A AND E OUTBREAK SURVEILLANCE DURING 2015–2017 IN
KASHMIR, INDIA: IS THE WATER TO BLAME?
SM Kadri
Directorate of Health Services, India
W
aterborne diseases, such as hepatitis A and E, are major public health concerns in most of the develop-
ing nations, 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 in-
vestigated 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. Be-
tween 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 rela-
tionship with water quality and socioeconomic factors, such as poor hygiene and lack of access to safe water,
aids towards the implementation of effective preventive sanitary measures and public health actions.
J Prim Care Gen Pract 2019, Volume 2