Team Herald

VALPOI: The river and wells at Shelpe village have been found to be contaminated with bacteria.

Last week the health department officials had collected samples from the river and wells in the village and the same have tested positive for shigella bacteria. 

The shigella is a water-borne disease that causes diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain; the bacteria are transmitted through contaminated water. 

At least fourteen Shelpe villagers fell sick after drinking water from the local river and wells and they were admitted at the Primary Health Centre, Valpoi. 

Meanwhile, Health Officer Dr Gajanan Naik informed that a team from the Manipal Centre for Virus Research had also taken the samples of blood, stools, urine and saliva of admitted patients. And the samples tested positive for the virus. 

In 2014, when a large number of people fell ill in Sattari, the Manipal Centre for Virus Research had diagnosed the diseases monkey fever.