Watermelon causes severe food poisoning, other disease in port city

KARACHI: As the heat increases in Karachi, there has been a rise in cases of food poisoning, intestinal infections, and other stomach–related diseases, negatively impacting the health of people.

Watermelon, which is consumed more than any other summer fruit, is the main culprit. Although it is considered a healthy fruit, during the onslaught of summer heat, some people are now presenting in the hospital with food poisoning, and people are now contracting cholera, all after eating watermelon.

Dr Irfan Siddiqui of Jinnah Hospital explained the reasons behind the increase in diseases: “Seasonal fruits are artificially injected to make them thick. We are using cosmetic injections on them.”

He noted that chemicals are also being added to these fruits. To safeguard against illness, he said, “Don’t freeze fruits, store them in the refrigerator, and don‘t eat them in excess.”

People should allow their stomachs a gap after eating these fruits, were his words. The doctor stated that since the preventive measures were not taken, it was observed that the patient has weight increased by 15% to 20%.

He also advised that prevention is the only way against gastro infections and vomiting. Last week, the Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that scorching heat in Karachi and other areas of Sindh will not show unusual behavior, which only adds to the discomfort.

Since then, the coastal city has been in scorching heat, particularly between 11 am and 4 pm. The higher authorities advised the citizens that during this time, no one should go out without any necessity to prevent medical emergencies from the heat.