Bengaluru: Over the past five years, Karnataka consistently recorded a very high number of acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) and typhoid cases—both major water-borne illnesses.In fact, data analysed by the Union health ministry for 2021-25 puts Karnataka among the country’s significantly high-burden states, ranking third in typhoid and fifth in ADD.
In 2021, the state reported 3.3 lakh ADD and 3,021 typhoid cases. This dropped sharply in 2022 to 1.3 lakh ADD cases (a 61.1% decline from 2021) even as typhoid surged to 29,232 cases (an 867.4% increase). The number of cases largely rose later on.Meanwhile, leptospirosis (rat fever) also remained comparatively elevated, with 8,697 cases reported over five years, averaging roughly 1,739 cases annually.Doctors in Bengaluru told TOI that the tech capital’s clinical trends mirrored the state data, with ADD and typhoid emerging as persistent concerns in recent years. They noted that water-borne illnesses are no longer confined to rural areas and are increasingly driven by rapid urban expansion and a growing urban population, which intensified pressure on water supply and sanitation systems.“Contrary to popular belief that rural populations are the main victims of water-borne diseases, we are witnessing a considerable disease burden in the urban populace over the years—particularly in congested localities, apartment complexes dependent on tanker water, and construction zones,” said Dr Khazi Javeed Irfan, senior consultant – internal medicine, Sparsh Hospital, Infantry Road. “Rural cases remain common, but urban areas are now outnumbering them.“Clinicians reported seeing 6-10 patients daily with diarrhoea and vomiting, with spikes during monsoon and summer months. Most patients are children or senior citizens, they said.“Contamination occurs through both outside food and unsafe drinking water. Nearly 50% of patients say they ate no outside food at all, which indicates their home water source is probably contaminated,” said Dr Mahesh Kumar JM, internal medicine specialist at KIMS Hospitals.He pointed to deeper structural issues in Bengaluru’s water ecosystem: ageing pipelines running close to sewage lines, dependence on tanker supply, unregulated packaged drinking-water cans, and shrinking or polluted water bodies amid urban growth.“Many lakes in Bengaluru are encroached upon, and the remaining ones are polluted with sewage and industrial waste. Yet tanker water is often drawn from these sources,” he said, adding that particulate levels in commonly consumed water frequently exceed safe standards.Dr TR Hemkumar, consultant – internal medicine, Kauvery Hospitals, Marathahalli, said typhoid continues to be one of the most frequently seen water-borne diseases in his practice.“Though people may not always associate typhoid with contaminated water, it is actually a very common water-borne disease. This is followed by diarrhoeal illnesses caused by bacterial as well as viral infections,” he explained.He added that along with unsafe water, uncooked outside food is also the primary infection source. “Well-cooked food eaten outside is unlikely to cause infection. The real risk comes from uncooked items such as salads,” he said.Doctors emphasised that household contamination is still possible even with RO filtration if the incoming water carries a heavy microbial load. They strictly advised boiling drinking water before consumption or cooking, regardless of filtration, to prevent prolonged or severe illness.——-gfx How case numbers changed in stateYearAcute diarrhoeal diseaseTyphoid20251.8 lakh39,34820241.8 lakh45,64120231.4 lakh42,09620221.3 lakh29,23220213.3 lakh3,021Source: Ministry of health
