Kathmandu, June 26

Gastritis patients are at high risk of cholera, according to doctors.

According to coordinator of clinical research unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, patients taking medicines for gastritis are at high risk of being infected by Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

A 36-year- old patient from Kalimati was the first person admitted at the hospital for treatment of cholera this year. Dr Pun said he was on medication for gastritis for the last one month. “Acid inside our body help fight bacteria, so people taking medicine for gastritis easily get infected with Vibrio cholerae,” he said.

If not treated, cholera can lead to severe dehydration, unconsciousness or even death.