Cuttack: Jaundice has returned to haunt the city again with reports of fresh cases of people suffering from the disease pouring in from five wards.

Cuttack Municipal Corporation's health officer Manoranjan Samantaray on Friday admitted that 40 persons in the city were suffering from hepatitis in wards 39, 49, 50, 51 and 52.

"The jaundice cases have been reported from areas, such as Jobra, Pareswar Sahi, Samadhipatana, Nuapada and Balisahi," Samantaray said.

The civic body has blamed leakage in water supply pipelines for the outbreak of the water-borne disease.

"We have asked the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) to plug the leakages as early as possible to prevent further spread of the disease," Samantaray said.

"Besides, our health workers are doing door-to-door survey in the hepatitis-affected wards for detection of patients and distribution of water purifier tablets. We are also spreading awareness through leaflets and public address system," he said.

"Apart from extending door to door survey for detection of jaundice patients in ward no 8 and 9 through 236 urban Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), health camps are being organised," municipal commissioner Gyana Das said.

"As part of the survey water purifier halogen tablets are being distributed," he said.