Seasonal change led to spike in typhoid, food poison cases: Docs

State Health Department officials, however, said that the outbreak is only due to seasonal variations andthat the situation is under control.

Various districts including Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul and Tiruvarur, reported a few outbreaks of typhoid and food poisoning as a large number of patients were rushed to the Primary Health Centres in these districts in two weeks.

There were 36 cases of food poisoning and 12 cases of typhoid reported in these places.

The officials from the Health department said that all the cases were treated symptomatically.

A few cases of typhoid were also reported in the government hospitals in the city, but the hospital authorities said that there is no outbreak in Chennai.

“It is usual for typhoid cases to be reported in December and January, mostly due to seasonal changes and temperature variations. The risk of infections is high in children,” said Dr Mohan Kumar, paediatrician, Institute of Child Health, Egmore.

The officials from the Directorate of Public Health said that in Tiruvarur and Dindigul, many complained of contaminated food intake. But, there was no outbreak in the districts.

“District healthcare officials have inspected the cases and carried out a door-to-door survey. There is no need to panic,” said Public Health Director Dr KKolandaisamy.