Cuttack, Feb. 10: Five fresh cases of jaundice have been reported in Cuttack on Tuesday. With this, the number of affected people has climbed to 68.

The district administration has also confirmed that the jaundice outbreak happened due to contamination of water as type E virus has been detected.

"Nine samples out of 10 have been tested for Hepatitis E. However, the situation is under control as measures have been taken to control the outbreak of the disease," said collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra.

The 10 blood samples collected from various persons diagnosed with the jaundice symptoms were sent for tests to the microbiology department at SCB hospital.

Mishra said all the cases reported were mild cases while the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) officials had been instructed to detect the source of water contamination in the affected pockets under the municipal corporation limits.

Official sources said sporadic jaundice cases had been reported from Jobra, Mangalabag, Thoria Sahi, Gahmandia and nearby areas in the past five days.

Alleging lack of adequate measures, the Cuttack Nagar Congress Committee today submitted a memorandum alleging failure on the part of the state government to provide safe drinking water to the people.

"Even after outbreak of jaundice in Sambalpur that claimed so many lives, the state government did not take any concrete measure to ensure that the spread of the waterborne disease was checked in other parts," said Mohammad Moquim, president of Cuttack Nagar Congress committee.

Moquim said Cuttack was prone to the outbreak, as the old pipelines had not been changed in the last 30 years.

The district administration officials said the PHD officials had started to replace the pipelines that were passing through various drains in the affected areas.