DOH fears disease outbreak in evac centers

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not lookin good

<HR>abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/10/2009 12:09 AM
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=200 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD> Source: DOH-NEC</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) has warned against the outbreak of diseases in evacuation centers filled with victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy.
The DOH estimates that over 13,000 evacuees are sick with diseases like cholera, dengue, malaria, and typhoid fever after being exposed to dirty flood water and subjected to cramped conditions in evacuation centers that hasten the spread of disease.
Data by the health department indicates that half of these evacuees are sick with "minor ailments" like respiratory infections, while 18% are suffering from diarrhea.
About 13% have skin disease and wounds, while 11% have fever, and 1% exhibit flu-like symptoms.
Pasig City residents like Jonalyn Vicente, for example, complain that her husband and children are suffering from severe athlete's foot and diarrhea.
"Eto nga po, nagsusugat na, wala kasing tsinelas, babad lagi ang paa. (Their feet are showing wounds because there are no slippers. Their feet are submerged in flood water)," she said.
The health bureau is also worried about possibly fatal flood-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, leptospirosis, A H1N1, and hepatitis A.
They are also closely monitoring the spread of dengue and malaria - both mosquito-borne diseases - in areas like Rizal province and Botolan, Zambales.
The spread of typhoid or typhus is pronounced in Laguna province, while Metro Manila evacuees are showing signs of leptospirosis (a disease caused by bacteria from animal feces), A H1N1, and dengue.
Dr. Eric Tayag of the National Epidemiology Center said lack of clean water and the accumulation of excrement in portalets are contributing factors to the spread of bacteria and disease.
"Because of the sheer number of people in evacuation centers, there is a potential for a diarrhea outbreak. People should go home to their houses to avoid this," Tayag said.
For now, the DOH is requesting local government units and evacuees to keep their surroundings clean so that bacteria will not spread.
The health agency's medical staff have also been focusing on distributing Vitamin A supplements and administering vaccinations to typhoon victims.http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle...k-evac-centers

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Re: DOH fears disease outbreak in evac centers

Disease warning as Philippines awaits typhoon Lupit

Experts warn of deadly epidemics in country still in the grip of devastation caused by two powerful storms
In pictures: Storm survivors face disease threat

• <LI class=publication sizset="33" sizcache="2"> Monday 19 October 2009 11.42 BST

More than 800 people died after tropical storm Ketsana and typhoon Parma swept through the Philippines. Photograph: Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

Survivors of two powerful storms that caused widespread destruction in the Philippines in recent weeks are threatened by outbreaks of potentially life-threatening diseases, as the country braces for another super-typhoon, health experts have warned.
Charity workers say disease and poor sanitation could afflict large numbers of people, many of whom are still waiting for medical and other supplies from the government and international aid organisations.
"It's a perfect storm because there's standing water, there's cholera, leptospirosis is endemic in the population and there's a disease called dengue which is spread by mosquitoes," said Dr Sean Keogh, emergency health assessor for Merlin, a UK-based medical relief agency.
More than 800 people died after tropical storm Ketsana and typhoon Parma swept through the country in late September and early this month.
Ketsana caused the worst flooding in the capital, Manila, for more than 40 years, while Parma lingered for a week, triggering floods and deadly landslides in mountainous areas of the main island of Luzon.
A fortnight later, 340,000 people are still living in cramped evacuation centres, while more than 7 million people have been affected by the storms, local officials said. Many areas are still underwater.
Today, preparations were being made to evacuate areas threatened by typhoon Lupit, which could brush the northern tip of Luzon by Thursday, according to the US navy's joint typhoon warning centre. Lupit's force has intensified since the weekend, with sustained winds of 108mph and gusts of up to 130mph.
Forecasters said they expected the typhoon, which would be the 18th big storm to hit the Philippines this year, to spare Manila but warned that Lupit could wreak havoc in northern regions.
The reassurances failed to put Manila residents at ease, however. "We're scared. We haven't even recovered from the last flooding and here comes another typhoon," said Gerardo Martin, who lives in the city's suburbs.
In the mountainous Cordillera region of Benguet province, police officers have been ordered to tell people to evacuate before the typhoon arrives, although some residents are reportedly refusing to leave their homes. About 290 people in the area, located 130 miles north of Manila, died in landslides triggered by typhoon Parma.
"Those in critical areas should be evacuated now that there is still time," said the head of the weather service, Prisco Nilo. "It would be more difficult to rescue people in the middle of a typhoon."
Health officials say that as many as 1.7 million people living in and around Manila risk exposure to leptospirosis, a waterborne disease that has killed 96 people this month.
The disease, which can be contracted by wading through floodwater, can lead to kidney failure if left untreated. State-run hospitals say they are inundated with leptospirosis cases, with many patients forced to sit on chairs as there are not enough beds.
The disease has infected more than 1,300 people, according to the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The health department plans to hand out antibiotics to 1.3 million people in high-risk areas.
The government has packed tonnes of food aid and prepared a fleet of helicopters to lift people to safety in Benguet and other northern regions, the national disaster co-ordination council said. The international community has pledged at least $100m (?61m) in food and other humanitarian aid.
"Most people are getting some clean water, but the problem is that people are using the standing water as a toilet and children are swimming through it," said Keogh, who recently visited two of the most badly hit areas. "People are walking in the water all day.
"All these things are coming together. There's another storm coming, there's standing water, endemic disease and people walking through the water, which has all sorts in ? petrol, human waste ? it's a complete mess. This is a communicable disease disaster in the making."
Keogh said he was concerned that vital medical and other supplies were not getting to people in flooded areas quickly enough, adding: "The death toll has been modest for a disaster of this scale. But this is something that can turn around and bite really quickly. These diseases can spread like wildfire and once they have got a grip in the community it's a real struggle to contain them."http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...saster-warning?