Sambalpur: With the detection of 12 new cases of hepatitis on Saturday, the total number of hepatitis cases in the town has reached 71, causing serious concern for the residents.

Of these 11 have been caused by the water-borne hepatitis A virus, while remaining have been caused by the water-borne hepatitis E virus. The season's first case of hepatitis was reported on March 11 and the figure of the affected persons has reached an alarming level within less than a month.

Despite the claim of the civic administration and public health department that efforts were on to clean water supply pipelines, the disease, which is believed to have been caused by contaminated drinking water, is spreading to new areas every passing day.

Initially, hepatitis cases were reported from Pensionpada and Nuapada. But now, hepatitis patients are coming to hospital from areas such as Budharaja, Mudipada, Khetrajpur and Cheruapada areas. "The hepatitis viruses have a long incubation period. If one gets infected today, it will take about a month for the patients to develop physical symptoms,, additional district medical officer of public health Panchanan Nayak told The Telegraph.

"Those who had taken contaminated food and water a few weeks ago, would show positive results for hepatitis now," he said. Sambalpur Municipal Corporation has taken up a drive to check sanitation in hotels and roadside street eateries. A special team of health department on Saturday conducted raids on 26 roadside eateries and destroyed about 50kg of stale food.