Monsoon Season Causing Rise in Hepatitis A and E Cases in Delhi: Doctors

Doctors have raised concerns over a sharp rise in Hepatitis A and E cases in Delhi and NCR during the ongoing monsoon season. They say these infections, which can be easily prevented, are increasing mainly due to unclean food and water.

Why Cases Are Rising Now

Hepatitis A and E spread through contaminated water or food, which becomes a bigger problem during the monsoons because of:

• Waterlogging
• Poor sanitation
• Unsafe drinking water
• Lack of hygiene

Children, pregnant women, and people with liver problems are most at risk.

Hospitals Seeing More Cases

According to Dr. Abhideep Chaudhary, President-Elect of the Liver Transplantation Society of India (LTSI), some hospitals in the city are reporting a 40% increase in patients with acute hepatitis, jaundice, stomach pain, and vomiting — all symptoms of Hepatitis A and E.

He added that many people are not aware that there are vaccines available to protect against Hepatitis A.

“These are preventable diseases, yet we see more and more cases every monsoon,” said Dr. Chaudhary.
“Hepatitis E can be very dangerous for pregnant women and may cause liver failure in people with existing liver disease.”

Who Is Affected Most

• Hepatitis E is responsible for over 70% of waterborne hepatitis cases in India during the rainy season.
• Hepatitis A mostly affects children under 15 years.
• Many people do not realise the seriousness of these illnesses until it becomes too late.

Doctors Call It a Repeating Health Crisis

Dr. Sanjiv Saigal, President of LTSI, said that cases have gone up 30–40% compared to last month.

“This happens every year during the monsoon, yet we are not fully prepared. Clean drinking water, proper food hygiene, and vaccination can stop it,” he said.

Short-Term But Serious Illness

Doctors warn that while Hepatitis B and C get more attention because they cause long-term liver damage, Hepatitis A and E can also cause serious short-term illness — especially in rainy months.

Common symptoms include:

• Tiredness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Yellowing of eyes (jaundice)
• Dark coloured urine

These are often ignored until the infection becomes worse.

What Experts and WHO Say

• The World Health Organization (WHO) says that Hepatitis E causes about 20 million infections worldwide every year, and India is one of the most affected.
• In cities like Delhi, a mix of fast urban growth, old water pipelines, and poor checks on street food vendors make things worse.

What You Can Do to Stay Safe

• Drink clean, filtered or boiled water
• Avoid eating from unhygienic food stalls
• Wash hands regularly
• Get vaccinated if you are in a high-risk group (children, pregnant women, liver patients)

Doctors say that with better awareness, proper food and water safety, and vaccination, these infections can be easily avoided.