Doctors in the Capital have sounded a note of warning over the rising number of gastroenteritis cases in recent day, with the city already having recorded 8,268 cases till March this year. Hygiene The number of cases is higher than what was recorded during the corresponding period last year. In 2007, 5,140 cases of gastroenteritis were reported till March, while 7,354 cases were recorded in 2006. "We are seeing an increase in the number of gastroenteritis cases and have warned the general public about the need to keep high standards of hygiene. We have issued a general advisory asking people not to eat uncovered food from the market and to ensure that the water they drink is from a clean source. Freshly prepared food should be eaten and all stored food should be covered. Hospitals have been asked to gear up for taking patients reporting in with various summer-related diseases. The good news is that we have recoded only two cases of cholera in the city so far,' said Senior Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi N. K. Yadav. Worldwide, inadequate treatment of gastroenteritis kills 5 million to 8 million people every year and is the leading cause of death among infants and children under five years. Increased temperature A senior physician, Dr. Anil Bansal, said: "We usually register a spiralling of cholera and gastroenteritis cases from May onward. Now with the increased temperature we are seeing a large number of gastroenteritis cases.' Clean food habits "We have advised that patients and the general public should maintain clean food habits and refrain from eating roadside food. Also special attention should be paid to ensuring that only clean drinking water is used. Washing hands and maintaining a general standard of hygiene is important to protect against the various summer-related diseases,' he added