Kumari Palany & Co

Doctors warn of imminent disease outbreak, advise precautionary measures

Posted on: 08/Dec/2015 10:14:52 AM
Chennai is slowly limping its way to normalcy. The main threat now is the outbreak of diseases. There has been a rise in reports of diarrhoea, vomiting and flu. 

Doctors in the city have said that, in addition to cases of the above, there have been people coming in with dengue and typhoid. Says one such doctor, Parents have been bringing children with stomach-related infections - food poisoning, vomiting and diarrhoea, which is probably due to contaminated water. I have also seen a few cases of dengue and typhoid.

Floods are known to increase the transmission of water borne diseases. These diseases include hepatitis A, typhoid, leptospirosis and cholera. There will also be a sharp rise in the number of mosquitoes which increases the chance of getting vector borne diseases such as dengue hemorrhagic fever, malaria and regular dengue. 

Doctors are taking precautionary measures to prevent the development and transmission of these diseases. They also advise people to take precautionary measures from their end. Right now we are seeing more cases of the flu, but in the next few days, we expect to see a rise in water-borne diseases, such as typhoid, leptospirosis, and dengue, because of water contamination. As a preventive measure, we are giving doxycycline so that people don`t get leptospirosis. We are distributing it at our medical camps as well... People should boil not just drinking water but also water used for bathing. Also, avoid having chutneys, juices, cold drinks, or anything that has not been boiled from outside. People should also take vaccinations for typhoid and Hepatitis A as they are water-borne diseases. You have to also keep your feet dry and dry out footwear to avoid fungal infections... We are giving out medicines for fever, and diarrhoea, as well as antibiotics, rehydration packets, food and water to people in flood-affected areas, they say.