Kolkata Faces an Annual Water-borne Challenge From Hepatitis E and the Monsoon Menace

News Desk, News Nation 360 : Every year, as the monsoon rains overwhelm Kolkata's low-lying slums and drench its streets, a more covert calamity occurs: an increase in hepatitis E cases. Hepatitis E is still a seasonal hazard that is often overlooked in favour of more dramatic vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, particularly in underprivileged areas of the city and slum clusters. Dr. Vivek Mohan Sharma - Consultant, Medical Gastroenterology, Narayana RN Tagore Hospital, Mukundapur has discussed on this. Hepatitis E is a viral hepatitis mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, usually through contaminated drinking water, and particularly a nuisance in heavy monsoon rains clogging Kolkata's drainage systems, swirling floodwater into sewage and infesting water storage, breeding ideal conditions for outbreaks in crowded and badly sanitized city slums such as Tiljala, Tangra, Garden Reach, and in areas of North Kolkata during July to September. The usual presentation is jaundice, malaise, nausea, and anorexia, but by the time patients present to the healthcare setting, their condition has already deteriorated; pregnant women are at highest risk, third-trimester infection usually resulting in acute liver failure and dramatically increased rates of maternal mortality. Prevention is important as hepatitis E does not have widespread vaccine coverage—boiling or filtering water used for drinking and cooking during monsoons, covering water containers tightly and keeping them off the floor, particularly in common or roadside water sources, can minimise infection. Early diagnosis and immediate treatment on recognising symptoms such as yellowing of the eyes or dark-colored urine can avoid complications and minimise transmission within the household. To effectively fight hepatitis E and other waterborne diseases, Kolkata needs to integrate urgent outbreak response with overall, year-round public health efforts aimed at enhancing sanitation, providing access to safe water, protecting the vulnerable, and building the overall resilience of the city with mounting monsoon volatility and rising population pressures.