Via Australia Network News :
" Health officials say water-borne diseases could be on the rise following severe flooding that hit Fiji's Western Division last week.
The World Health Organisation said flooding had increased the threat of typhoid, dengue fever and leptospirosis. The WHO said it was also bracing for a rapid increase in the mosquito population.
Dr Jacob Kool, a communicable diseases specialist with the WHO's Fiji office, told Pacific Beat there were a number of things which could trigger a disease outbreak."
Showing posts with label Flood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flood. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Thailand : Health warnings stepped up
Via The Nation :
" Main concerns are uncollected garbage and leptospirosis
Health hazards are becoming a major concern as contamination of floodwater caused mainly by uncollected garbage is widespread - while warnings against waterborne zoonoses [diseases transferred from animals to humans] and food poisoning have been issued.
The Public Health Ministry's Department of Medical Sciences yesterday warned of possible leptospirosis in flooded areas and against consuming ice and iced drinks from unknown production sources. In a recent survey, 21 food samples, collected in four flooded provinces including Bangkok, yielded food poisoning manifestations, while 17 out of 57 samples of drinking water possessed germs which caused diarrhoea.
The minister reported one leptospirosis case in Khon Kaen and 20 suspected cases. The bacterial disease, which is found usually in flooded areas up to three weeks after a flood recedes, is potentially fatal if not properly treated.
In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed, as only 30 per cent of daily garbage can now be collected while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water.
As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resulted in increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish in badly flooded areas."
" Main concerns are uncollected garbage and leptospirosis
Health hazards are becoming a major concern as contamination of floodwater caused mainly by uncollected garbage is widespread - while warnings against waterborne zoonoses [diseases transferred from animals to humans] and food poisoning have been issued.
The Public Health Ministry's Department of Medical Sciences yesterday warned of possible leptospirosis in flooded areas and against consuming ice and iced drinks from unknown production sources. In a recent survey, 21 food samples, collected in four flooded provinces including Bangkok, yielded food poisoning manifestations, while 17 out of 57 samples of drinking water possessed germs which caused diarrhoea.
The minister reported one leptospirosis case in Khon Kaen and 20 suspected cases. The bacterial disease, which is found usually in flooded areas up to three weeks after a flood recedes, is potentially fatal if not properly treated.
In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed, as only 30 per cent of daily garbage can now be collected while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water.
As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resulted in increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish in badly flooded areas."
Monday, November 7, 2011
Death toll from Thailand floods passes 500
Via The Telegraph :
" The death toll from Thailand's worst floods in half a century climbed past 500 on Sunday, as advancing pools of polluted black water threatened Bangkok's subway system and new evacuations were ordered in the sprawling capital.
The latest district added to the government's evacuation list was Chatuchak, home to major public park and an outdoor shopping zone that is a major tourist attraction. The Chatuchak Weekend Market was open but missing many vendors and customers on Sunday as floodwaters poured past the market's eastern edge for a second day.
So far, Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra has ordered evacuations in 11 of Bangkok's 50 districts, and partial evacuations apply in seven more.
The evacuations are not mandatory, and most people are staying to protect homes and businesses. But the orders illustrate how far flooding has progressed into the city and how powerless the government has been to stop it.
Chatuchak is just a few miles (kilometres) north of Bangkok's central business district, which still is dry. On Sunday, cars sloshed through a flooded road underneath Chatuchak's Mo Chit Skytrain station, the northernmost stop on Bangkok's elevated train system.
Floodwaters also reached roads at three subway stops in northern Bangkok, though both mass transit networks are functioning normally."
" The death toll from Thailand's worst floods in half a century climbed past 500 on Sunday, as advancing pools of polluted black water threatened Bangkok's subway system and new evacuations were ordered in the sprawling capital.
The latest district added to the government's evacuation list was Chatuchak, home to major public park and an outdoor shopping zone that is a major tourist attraction. The Chatuchak Weekend Market was open but missing many vendors and customers on Sunday as floodwaters poured past the market's eastern edge for a second day.
So far, Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra has ordered evacuations in 11 of Bangkok's 50 districts, and partial evacuations apply in seven more.
The evacuations are not mandatory, and most people are staying to protect homes and businesses. But the orders illustrate how far flooding has progressed into the city and how powerless the government has been to stop it.
Chatuchak is just a few miles (kilometres) north of Bangkok's central business district, which still is dry. On Sunday, cars sloshed through a flooded road underneath Chatuchak's Mo Chit Skytrain station, the northernmost stop on Bangkok's elevated train system.
Floodwaters also reached roads at three subway stops in northern Bangkok, though both mass transit networks are functioning normally."
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Electrocution warning amid Thai flooding
Via The Sydney Morning Herald :
" Thai authorities have warned flood victims of an increased danger of electrocution in densely populated Bangkok and its suburbs as the toll from the worst inundation in decades surged above 400.
While the centre of the Thai capital remains dry, residential areas in its outskirts and to the north have been submerged in water up to people's waists or even deeper as run-off creeps south from the central plains.
The government said on Wednesday the disaster had now killed 427 people - up by 42 from the figure reported a day earlier. While drowning was the most common cause of death, dozens have also been electrocuted.
"In the past 10 days deaths from electrocution rose from just nine to 36 and about 80 per cent of those were in the provinces surrounding Bangkok," a senior public health ministry official, Porntep Siriwanarangsun, told AFP on Wednesday.
"I'm sure many cases are not reported. If this issue is not addressed it will be a major cause of death."
Most instances of fatal electrocution occurred when people returned to their flooded one-storey homes, unaware of the risk.
"In many cases victims died because of senseless action," Porntep said.
So far none of the deaths in the official toll was in Bangkok, where the risk of drowning is considered relatively low because the water is fairly shallow in most areas and the current is not strong.
A bigger worry is children swimming in contaminated water, Porntep said, adding that the authorities would need to clean up garbage soon after the floods recede to prevent leptospirosis, a severe bacterial infection."
" Thai authorities have warned flood victims of an increased danger of electrocution in densely populated Bangkok and its suburbs as the toll from the worst inundation in decades surged above 400.
While the centre of the Thai capital remains dry, residential areas in its outskirts and to the north have been submerged in water up to people's waists or even deeper as run-off creeps south from the central plains.
The government said on Wednesday the disaster had now killed 427 people - up by 42 from the figure reported a day earlier. While drowning was the most common cause of death, dozens have also been electrocuted.
"In the past 10 days deaths from electrocution rose from just nine to 36 and about 80 per cent of those were in the provinces surrounding Bangkok," a senior public health ministry official, Porntep Siriwanarangsun, told AFP on Wednesday.
"I'm sure many cases are not reported. If this issue is not addressed it will be a major cause of death."
Most instances of fatal electrocution occurred when people returned to their flooded one-storey homes, unaware of the risk.
"In many cases victims died because of senseless action," Porntep said.
So far none of the deaths in the official toll was in Bangkok, where the risk of drowning is considered relatively low because the water is fairly shallow in most areas and the current is not strong.
A bigger worry is children swimming in contaminated water, Porntep said, adding that the authorities would need to clean up garbage soon after the floods recede to prevent leptospirosis, a severe bacterial infection."
Thailand : Anger rises in Bangkok's flooded areas
Via Radio Australia, excerpt :
" The good news for Bangkok is that the city centre seems to have avoided the massive flooding that has crippled outlying areas of the Thai capital.
The bad news is that it could be more than a month before the floodwaters recede.
Some residents are angry about the way authorities have handled flood protection and prevention and they want flood barriers opened up to release the water.
The death toll continues to climb. Drowning and electrocution remain the key causes. At least two people have died of the bacterial infection leptospirosis and authorities fear a major outbreak of typhoid or cholera.
Much of the water is now black, slimy and smelly and it may yet take up to 45 days to subside."
" The good news for Bangkok is that the city centre seems to have avoided the massive flooding that has crippled outlying areas of the Thai capital.
The bad news is that it could be more than a month before the floodwaters recede.
Some residents are angry about the way authorities have handled flood protection and prevention and they want flood barriers opened up to release the water.
The death toll continues to climb. Drowning and electrocution remain the key causes. At least two people have died of the bacterial infection leptospirosis and authorities fear a major outbreak of typhoid or cholera.
Much of the water is now black, slimy and smelly and it may yet take up to 45 days to subside."
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
UN: Benin two-thirds flooded after heavy rains, 43 dead
Via BBC :
" The United Nations says two-thirds of the West African nation of Benin is flooded after heavy rains.
At least 43 people have been killed in recent weeks, according to UN officials, and nearly 100,000 people have been made homeless.
Unseasonably heavy rains have caused the Oueme and Mono rivers to overflow.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says there have also been 800 reported cases of cholera.
Aid workers are concerned about a cholera epidemic as the disease is spread through contaminated water.
UN officials have been travelling around the country ascertaining the damage."
" The United Nations says two-thirds of the West African nation of Benin is flooded after heavy rains.
At least 43 people have been killed in recent weeks, according to UN officials, and nearly 100,000 people have been made homeless.
Unseasonably heavy rains have caused the Oueme and Mono rivers to overflow.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says there have also been 800 reported cases of cholera.
Aid workers are concerned about a cholera epidemic as the disease is spread through contaminated water.
UN officials have been travelling around the country ascertaining the damage."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Diseases Flow With Pakistan Floods
An article from The Cornell Daily Sun :
" It is estimated that over one-fifth of Pakistan went under water during the July 2010 floods. While the floods left only an estimated 1500 dead, they left over 21 million individuals without homes, as a result of what United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called, “slow moving tsunami”.
The destruction of essential infrastructure created a dangerous atmosphere, where survivors now face potentially epidemic diseases. UNICEF estimates that over 3.5 million children run the risk of contracting a waterborne disease as an aftermath of the flood.
“In general, you have more people crowded, and more people in bad situations. You’re going to have more diarrhea and more repertory track diseases,” said Dorothy Debbie, microbiology and immunology.
“It depends on where you have a flood. In this area the biggest concern … the top one you think of is cholera because cholera is already [an] epidemic in the area,” said Debbie. Cholera was not a concern, for example, after the Haitian earthquake.
“Kids especially would be an issue, and severe cholera is a life threatening disease.” Adults in Pakistan have likely already been exposed, and therefore, they likely have built greater immunity to cholera than children.
The list of bacterial disease continues, with Debbie highlighting diarrheal diseases as another major concern. Dehydration and loss of electrolytes can lead to death. Typhoid, which is also found in South Asia, is also a concern."
" It is estimated that over one-fifth of Pakistan went under water during the July 2010 floods. While the floods left only an estimated 1500 dead, they left over 21 million individuals without homes, as a result of what United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called, “slow moving tsunami”.
The destruction of essential infrastructure created a dangerous atmosphere, where survivors now face potentially epidemic diseases. UNICEF estimates that over 3.5 million children run the risk of contracting a waterborne disease as an aftermath of the flood.
“In general, you have more people crowded, and more people in bad situations. You’re going to have more diarrhea and more repertory track diseases,” said Dorothy Debbie, microbiology and immunology.
“It depends on where you have a flood. In this area the biggest concern … the top one you think of is cholera because cholera is already [an] epidemic in the area,” said Debbie. Cholera was not a concern, for example, after the Haitian earthquake.
“Kids especially would be an issue, and severe cholera is a life threatening disease.” Adults in Pakistan have likely already been exposed, and therefore, they likely have built greater immunity to cholera than children.
The list of bacterial disease continues, with Debbie highlighting diarrheal diseases as another major concern. Dehydration and loss of electrolytes can lead to death. Typhoid, which is also found in South Asia, is also a concern."
Monday, September 13, 2010
UN: 24 dead, 70,000 homeless in Chad flooding
Via CNN :
" Some 70,000 people have been left homeless by flooding triggered by heavy rains in the central African nation of Chad, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday.
Twenty-four people have been killed and 29 others injured, said Ute Kollies, head of the office's branch in Chad. Forty-six others have died from cholera that broke out in the wake of the floods. Some 700 people are suffering from cholera, she said.
Overall, nearly 145,000 people in Chad have been affected by the flooding, and that number is rising, she said.
"Today is the worst, and it's getting more and more out of hand," she said. "This is the crisis point, at the moment."
Flooding has affected more than half of Chad's regions, she said. The same regions were hit by extreme drought last year. About 31,500 hectares (77,000 acres) of crops have been destroyed.
About 6,000 people have been displaced, Kollies said. They have moved in with family or sought shelter in schools and open areas."
" Some 70,000 people have been left homeless by flooding triggered by heavy rains in the central African nation of Chad, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday.
Twenty-four people have been killed and 29 others injured, said Ute Kollies, head of the office's branch in Chad. Forty-six others have died from cholera that broke out in the wake of the floods. Some 700 people are suffering from cholera, she said.
Overall, nearly 145,000 people in Chad have been affected by the flooding, and that number is rising, she said.
"Today is the worst, and it's getting more and more out of hand," she said. "This is the crisis point, at the moment."
Flooding has affected more than half of Chad's regions, she said. The same regions were hit by extreme drought last year. About 31,500 hectares (77,000 acres) of crops have been destroyed.
About 6,000 people have been displaced, Kollies said. They have moved in with family or sought shelter in schools and open areas."
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