Cuttack, Jan. 12: Hepatitis outbreak has assumed serious proportions at Matha Sahi in ward No. 8 here with the waterborne disease affecting 60 persons in the last month alone.

Two to three fresh cases of hepatitis are being reported from the area almost every day, triggering panic among local residents.

The failure of the public health department and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to check the outbreak of the disease has led to resentment among the people.

Sources said water samples from six locations at ward No. 8 had been collected for testing today.

"Only nine persons were diagnosed with hepatitis in the second week of December, while there has been a sharp rise in the number of cases in the past 15 days. It speaks volumes about the inefficiency of the civic body in containing the outbreak of the disease," said Saroj Behera, a resident of Matha Sahi.

City health officer P.K. Pradhan said initially they suspected that contamination of water led to the outbreak as one of the main supply pipelines had been damaged during construction of the integrated sanitation project here.

The main water supply line was subsequently changed and efforts were made to conduct a detailed verification of household connections for detecting possible leakages at other places. However, the exact source of water contamination has not been ascertained.

"There is usually an incubation period of hepatitis virus of 15 to 50 days from the time a person consumes the contaminated water. We have already intensified our efforts to maintain sanitation to supply safe drinking water through tankers," the health officer said.

Pradhan said distribution of halogen tablets and awareness drives were on in the affected locality.

"We are monitoring the situation and the health squad would also conduct special drives to put a check on sale of stale food at hotels and roadside food joints in the area," he said.

Executive engineer of the Public Health Engineering Organisation Sushant Ghadei told The Telegraph that two special squads had already been formed and inspection for detection of leakages in the domestic supply lines started.

Besides, civic officials have been asked to assist the squads to clearing overhead water tanks of Matha Sahi homes.

"So far, we have not found any leakage. However, joint squads have been formed to inspect overhead tanks at individual houses and check old household pipelines," said Ghadei.

To ensure that the disease does not spread to neighbouring areas, the health engineering organisation has formed three additional squads to detect any possible leakages in the pipelines in localities under the civic body's ward Nos. 7, 9 and 16.