A sharp rise in jaundice cases has put the Health Department on high alert in Kullu district, with at least 38 patients, including young children and adolescents, reported at the Regional Hospital in Kullu so far. The authorities have launched a multi-pronged investigation into the outbreak, with contaminated drinking water emerging as the primary suspect.
Health officials are concerned as the number of jaundice cases continues to rise. According to hospital records, 20 patients, including adults and children, are currently undergoing treatment, while new cases are being reported daily. Doctors say young children, teenagers and young adults are among the worst affected.
In an effort to trace the source of the infection, the hospital administration collected five drinking water samples from the Post Office and Shastri Nagar areas of Kullu and sent them for laboratory analysis. The results are awaited and are expected to help determine whether the water supply has been contaminated.
Meanwhile, the Jal Shakti Department has begun an extensive inspection and cleaning of pipelines and water sources. It has also sent four additional water samples to a laboratory in Pune for detailed analysis.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the district administration has engaged an independent team from Chandigarh — an NABL-accredited laboratory, Eco Environmental Laboratories and Consultants Pvt Ltd — to conduct parallel testing. The team has already started collecting water samples from various localities within the municipal council area, including the Sarwari Khadd.
The move follows earlier test reports by the Health and Jal Shakti Departments, which had reportedly found the water quality to be within acceptable limits — a finding that appeared inconsistent with the growing number of infections.
According to medical experts, the key symptoms of jaundice include yellowing of the eyes and skin, loss of appetite, weakness, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark-coloured urine. Parents have been advised to seek immediate medical attention if their children develop any of these symptoms.
In response to the outbreak, the Health Department has issued an advisory urging residents to drink boiled or purified water, eat freshly prepared and hygienic food, maintain proper hand hygiene and avoid consuming food sold in the open.
Kullu Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ranjeet Thakur said that at least 38 jaundice patients had been reported at the Regional Hospital in Kullu. “We will be able to say something only after the test reports arrive,” he said.
Doctors note that waterborne diseases such as jaundice become more common during the monsoon season, when drinking water sources are more susceptible to contamination. Complaints of contaminated water supply from several parts of the district have further strengthened suspicions that the outbreak may be linked to unsafe drinking water.
As the investigation continues, the district administration remains on high alert, coordinating with the Health, Jal Shakti and Municipal Council Departments to contain the outbreak and ensure the availability of safe drinking water for residents.