Fourteen people fell ill with diarrheal symptoms in the last three days in Ponugotivaripalem village of Ipur mandal in Palnadu district. The administration suspects that the cause could be either contamination of the water in the RO plant, which supplies water to the entire village, or exposure to heat.
District Medical Officer and Health Officer Dr. Ravi said all between the ages of 50 and 70 had mild symptoms of diarrhea, reporting three to four episodes a day. As of Monday (March 30, 2026), two people are suffering from the infection while others have recovered, he said, adding that the symptoms last for two to three days.
“Most of the affected are agricultural labourers. In Palnadu district, it is usually the time to sort chillies according to their quality, which requires intensive work. We suspect that the affected fell ill due to heatstroke,” said Dr. Ravi. He also added that it could also have been caused by not following proper hand washing etiquette after handling the pesticide chili peppers.
The administration had the village tank cleaned and sent water samples from the RO plant for testing to Guntur Medical College, he added.
Published – 30 March 2026 21:00 IST
