AFTER SEVERAL typhoons have ravaged various parts of the country and left many of our countrymen devastated, another serious ?storm? may hit them and its consequences may be more serious. This storm is the infectious disease aftermath following heavy rains and flooding.
Medical students and other members of the Mu Sigma Phi sorority of the University of the Philippines recently conducted a series of lectures to typhoon evacuees at the Philsports complex in Pasig City to teach them on measures to prevent getting afflicted with various infectious diseases such as diarrhea, dengue and leptospirosis.
As the evacuees go back to their respective homes, or whatever remain of them, they will have to contend with problems in provisions of clean water, sanitation, shelter, overcrowding and wading through floods which have not receded fully in many areas.
Waterborne diseases usually constitute a major problem following typhoons. Diarrheal diseases are the No. 1 cause of illness and death after natural disasters causing massive flooding. This is usually compounded by inadequate quality and quantity of drinking water, substandard and insufficient sanitation facilities and overcrowding.
Whether the diarrhea?s cause is bacterial, parasitic or viral, outbreaks can be caused by polluted drinking water sources usually from contaminated surface waters getting into incompletely sealed wells, shared water containers, water that is stored and contaminated by focally soiled hands and contaminated foods.
We?ve seen television footages of people wading through neck-deep floods, and if one does this for repeated periods of time, even if one does not have an open wound in the body, his risk of getting Leptospirosis is increased. Usually transmitted by contact with infected rat urine, this disease is endemic in the Philippines.
After the recent typhoons, thousands have been afflicted with Leptospirosis and several hundreds have died. The usual cause of death is kidney failure. The course can be very rapid, starting as a flu-like illness but with rapid deterioration after a few days. The incubation period may be anywhere from a few days to three weeks.
The good news though is that the Leptospiral bacteria is very sensitive to doxycycline, a commonly available antibiotic. So high-risk individuals, such as those with body wounds and those who can?t avoid wading in floodwaters repeatedly, may have to consult their doctor for antibiotic prophylaxis. Those with what seems to be simple flu-like symptoms should immediately consult their doctor too to rule out Leptospirosis and prevent more serious complications with prompt treatment.
Vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever may peak again following typhoons. The floods usually wash away the existing mosquito breeding sites. After the rains however, new breeding sites are produced with the remaining stagnant water.
Mosquito breeding sites
So everyone must inspect the vicinity of their houses for any potential mosquito breeding sites. Fresh flowers always look good in the house, but even water-filled flower vases can be a breeding site. Same with old tires, water containers, banana leaves, etc. Dengue fever is a year-long problem in the Philippines, but we?ll likely get more cases after the typhoons; hopefully it does not reach epidemic proportions.
The young doctors and would-be doctors of Mu Sigma Phi also stressed the importance of hand washing as the single most important measure to prevent infectious diseases. They demonstrated the proper way to wash hands, not quickly but thoroughly such that one should complete the Happy Birthday song twice before rinsing off.
A lecture was also given on the proper way to breastfeed and all mothers were encouraged to continue breastfeeding their babies for as long as possible to provide them all the benefits of breast milk. Breast milk is rich in essential nutrients that promote physical, as well as brain growth and nervous system development.
The young women doctors stressed that it is the perfect first food to help babies achieve every aspect of ideal growth and development. Breast milk also has anti-infective properties which can help boost the babies? resistance against the various infectious diseases they can be prone to get after typhoons.
There is no doubt that the efforts of the doctors from the Mu Sigma Phi sorority to educate evacuees on easily doable preventive measures can help save a lot of the evacuees from being devastated by what can be a more devastating infectious disease aftermath following the typhoons and floods. This can be truly empowering for the evacuees as they try to get their lives back?something which they will not be able to do if they get stricken down with illness.
