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Risk of disease in populations affected by winter
Colprensa | Bogot? | Posted on December 1, 2011
Winter is on alert to the country not only by flooding and landslides threaten towns and roads, but by infectious diseases and respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological can be increased at this time, especially in areas where people live in the water and crowded conditions.
The Surgeon General of the Red Cross, Francisco Moreno, explained that outbreaks such as malaria and dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes, can be intensified in the region of the Pacific Coast, Atlantic Coast and the eastern plains, which are below 500 meters above sea level.
According to Moreno, the risk in the Andes is the increase in respiratory illnesses such as colds and infections that can affect stronger lungs. To these are added the gastrointestinal damage and skin diseases generally appear by the consumption contaminated food and water.
Although so far no large outbreaks have been evidenced in the most affected by the intensification of the winter, both the Ministry of Health and Welfare as the Red Cross are developing campaigns to prevent epidemics can be prevented through vaccination or measures basic hygiene.
The first half, Moreno said, is to review the immunization schedules for children who are in shelters and areas at risk for winter considering that diseases like measles, smallpox and whooping cough can become a health problem public, when there are vaccines to prevent them.
Other diseases such as malaria and dengue can be prevented with simple measures. For example, by spraying and using mosquito nets on the beds to prevent mosquitoes from biting people, especially children, more susceptible to disease because they are in development.
A key issue to prevent such outbreaks and infections that affect the stomach and the skin is water management. The recommendation is to consume only Moreno drinking water, avoid storing the liquid in buckets without lids and boiling used to wash and cooking.
Contaminated water can also affect the skin if the person comes into contact with it. So if someone falls or dives to a pool or water tank in inadequate conditions should be washed with soap and water to prevent infection. It is also important that people protect themselves with repellents to prevent mosquito any affect the dermis and subjecting the body to sudden temperature changes.
According to Moreno, the hostel dwellers have been working how to preserve hygiene in these places are overcrowded. For example, proper management of excreta and the place to leave food, taking into account that has been found that some people leave them within reach of pets or rodents that can transmit diseases.
The campaign being conducted by the Red Cross is also focused on publicizing the people at shelters and flooded areas how to produce the most common diseases and what are the symptoms to come to health facilities on time and avoid epidemics aggravate the tragedy and in the country