26 June 2025 : The monsoon season heightens the risk of water-borne infections, often leading to days of illness and potential complications. With the increased chance of consuming contaminated water during this time, the likelihood of diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera rises significantly.
In an interview with HT lifestyle, Dr Jayanti Khura, consultant internal medicine, Manipal Hospital Bhubaneshwar said, “This is due to contaminated food and water and poor sanitation during monsoon. These conditions are preventable and treatable.”
Dr Jayanti Khura shared 5 tips to stay safe from diarrhoea and cholera in the monsoon season:
1. Maintain hand hygiene
It’s the most important thing to prevent illnesses. Before consuming food, you must wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Hand wash kills all the germs causing diarrhoea and keeps you safe.
2. Consume clean water
Water is one of the main culprits of causing diarrhoea and cholera in monsoon. Contaminated water can make you ill in no time. So, you must consume only clean water. If you can, then install RO or water purifier in your house and drink water from there only. If that is not feasible for you, boil your water and store it in a closed container.
3. Wash fruits and vegetables properly
You must wash your fruits and vegetables properly before cooking and eating with clean water. Do not leave cut fruits or vegetables outside for a long time. Flies may sit on it and make it contaminated.
4. Have fresh food
Always consume fresh food. Reheat your food before eating if it is cold. Store them in the refrigerator. When keeping outside, always keep it covered.
5. Avoid outside food during monsoon
Outside food vendors don’t usually maintain hygiene, which triggers the risk of diarrhoea during monsoon. So, it’s better to have homemade freshly prepared food rather than having contaminated outside food and invite illness.
Summary: To avoid waterborne diseases during monsoon, doctors advise drinking boiled water, eating home-cooked meals, maintaining hygiene, avoiding street food, and washing hands regularly.