Mobor, Cutbona breathe easy, cholera wave ends

Panaji: The health services on Wednesday declared an end to the cholera outbreak at Mobor and Cutbona fishing jetties in South Goa. The decision was made after no new cases were reported in the affected areas over the past 10 days.

During the outbreak, a total of 228 cases were reported, which included six fatalities among migrant workers. Two of these migrant workers were brought dead to the health facilities.

Cutbona bore the brunt of the outbreak, with 178 cases reported from the area, while Mobor accounted for the remaining 50 cases.

State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said that the absence of new infections in the last 10 days was a positive sign, indicating that the measures implemented to control the spread of the disease were effective.

“The cholera outbreak at Mobor and Cutbona jetties has been successfully contained. We have officially declared the outbreak as over; however, our surveillance will continue,” he said.

Betodkar said that henceforth, if cases emerge from these two fishing jetties, then it will be considered a “usual occurrence”, and required measures will be taken by the health services with assistance from the local health centre. The state epidemiologist said that senior health officers visited the jetties and found that the current cleanliness and hygiene standards were satisfactory.

Betodkar stated that the Malim jetty area continues to report cases of cholera, with four new cases recorded in the last week. The jetty has already witnessed the death of a migrant worker due to the outbreak.

“The situation cannot be considered completely under control at Malim unless we see zero cases for at least 10 or more days,” he said.

Betodkar said it is important to maintain proper hygiene practices and seek prompt medical care if individuals experience any symptoms associated with cholera. He said that surveillance and proactive measures are crucial in preventing further spread of the disease in the area.