Nagpur: Beware! The thirst-quenching and energy providing ganna raas (sugarcane juice) may pose a health risk if consumed unclean. A caution has been sounded by experts regarding the consumption of roadside sugarcane and other juices whose sales jump with rise in temperature. Threats from unhygienic food and beverages include hepatitis A, E and other gastrointestinal complications which become common in summer and get aggravated during the monsoon.
According to reports and experts, diseases like hepatitis A, E, viral diarrhoea, typhoid and fever are transmitted through the orofecal route (pathogens in fecal particles pass from one person to the mouth of another person). Sugarcane and fruit juices prepared with contaminated water or ice may lead to serious health issues, they added.
Hepatitis A and E are more common in rains, but they may surface earlier too. There is a spike in viral diarrhoea cases in the last two weeks. With the onset of summer, eating street foods prepared in an unhygienic manner is not advisable, an expert said.
It is better to pay extra and eat at hygienic places than to risk catching water and food-borne diseases. One can also contract acute gastroenteritis from such food in the summer. It is triggered by bacterial infections which are commonly termed as diarrhoea or dysentery. Roadside vendors seldom follow sound hygiene standards. It is better to eat fruits washed well with clean water than to drink their juices. Home-made juices are a good option too, advised another expert.
The common complaint among children is gastroenteritis, and sometimes typhoid. Contaminated food and water are the main causes of children’s health-related issues in the summer and monsoon. Sore throat due to ice candy or ice ‘gola’ is another nuisance posing health hazards to the paediatric population.
According to experts, one must also ward off dehydration in the sweltering summer. Avoid continuous toil under the sun and stepping into a cold room immediately after an outdoor visit.The liver and stomach ailments — which can be triggered through viral and bacterial infections — are very prevalent during summers and afterwards.
