Laboratory tests have revealed the presence of the E.coli bacteria in some water samples taken from Darjeeling district.
The E.coli, or Escherichia, is a species of bacterium found in the intestines of animals and humans and is medically considered harmless. However, some strains can cause illness. The presence of E.coli in a drinking water usually indicates recent fecal contamination. The samples were sent to the Regional Food Safety Laboratory, Siliguri, and at the laboratory of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) at Fulbari and some were tested at another PHE laboratory at Neorakhola division. Ten such samples from each blocks were collected.
The food safety laboratory, which functions under the health and family welfare department, conducts microbiological and chemical tests of water.
“In the surveillance samples of water, some E.coli bacteria were found during tests. Necessary steps have been taken. The PHE has disinfected the water sources,” said the designated food safety officer of the Regional Food Testing Laboratory, Siliguri and deputy chief medical officer of health-II, Dr Tulsi Pramanik. Sources said that out the 720 water samples sent for tests last year, E.coli was found in nine samples. Till May this year, bacteria was found in four of the 100 samples.
“It is usually transferred to humans via contaminated water or food which has not been cooked properly. The symptoms can range from mild diarrhoea to haemorrhagic colitis, a combination of severe abdominal cramps and blood in stool,” said a health expert.
Dr Pramanik said that in order to prevent water contamination, the health department had, in a meeting of the district monitoring level team on 29 May, had asked the PHE to monitor the leakage of taps. Meanwhile, the health department has sent 12 samples of packaged drinking water and piped water to the West Bengal Public Health After rains, river mining banned Laboratory in Kolkata.