The northern provinces are suffering severe damage due to flooding. Medical facilities in many provinces are focusing their resources on rescuing victims injured by landslides and preventing the risk of disease outbreaks following the floods.
How have local health authorities mobilized to support residents in disease prevention?
Widespread Disease Outbreaks Possible
Residents cleaning up after the floods in Yen Bai City, Yen Bai Province – (Photo: NAM TRẦN).
In an interview with our reporter, Nguyen Luong Tam, Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), stated that after the floods, numerous microorganisms, dust, garbage, and waste have spread throughout various areas, leading to environmental pollution and a potential risk of disease.
Common diseases during the rainy season include dengue fever, malaria, flu, skin diseases, conjunctivitis, and gastrointestinal diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and diarrhea. These are mainly caused by contaminated water and food sources due to pathogens present in water, as well as human and animal waste.
A lack of clean drinking water and the use of unsafe food sources can easily lead to infections.
Mr. Tam indicated that the Ministry of Health is currently assessing the impacts of post-flood conditions in various localities and recommending that residents take preventive measures against diseases. Simultaneously, they are reviewing the conditions in these areas to develop appropriate professional support and budget plans for disease control.
In a discussion with our reporter, Dr. Than Manh Hung, Deputy Head of the Emergency Department at the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, suggested that disease outbreaks following this round of floods could be more complex than in previous flood events. This is because the floods this year have occurred on a large scale, affecting many provinces, and diseases could spread from one outbreak area to another.
Dr. Hung clarified that the floods cause inundation, rising water levels, and once the water recedes, there may be pathogens left in the water source. Additionally, due to widespread flooding, water can move from one locality to another.
Moreover, dead livestock due to flooding and floating animal carcasses can drift to other provinces, potentially carrying diseases that are currently circulating in those areas.
How to Prevent Diseases?
One common illness that arises after flooding is conjunctivitis. According to Dr. Phung Thi Thuy Hang, Deputy Head of the Eye Department at Bach Mai Hospital, preventing eye diseases must go hand in hand with maintaining eye and environmental hygiene.
“Conjunctivitis will increase in communities lacking clean water, and the age groups most susceptible to eye diseases are children under 15 and adults over 60. This illness spreads easily and can lead to large outbreaks.
The disease is transmitted from one person to another through tears and discharge containing numerous pathogens.
Individuals with conjunctivitis often rub their eyes with their hands and then touch common objects in homes, workplaces, or schools, leading to transmission to others using those objects.“, Dr. Hang explained.
Although conjunctivitis is usually benign, there are numerous cases where the condition persists and causes complications affecting vision, necessitating good awareness of disease prevention and timely treatment when symptoms arise.
Dr. Than Manh Hung noted that after the floods, residents are more susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases, among which typhoid is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. This illness can start suddenly with prolonged high fever, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, slow pulse, constipation, or diarrhea, and dry cough.
The incubation period depends on the amount of bacteria entering the susceptible person’s body, averaging 8 to 14 days.
To prevent disease, doctors recommend eating cooked food and drinking boiled water, maintaining environmental hygiene, ensuring the cleanliness of water sources, washing hands before and after food preparation, and cleaning surfaces with common disinfectants. Also, if experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, residents should immediately notify local health authorities.
The Ministry of Health advises residents not to use dead livestock or poultry due to flooding for food – (Photo: provided by residents)
Avoid Using Dead Livestock Due to Flooding for Food
The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) strongly advises residents to absolutely avoid using dead livestock and poultry for food or food preparation. In flooded and landslide-affected areas, residents are encouraged to consume ready-to-eat food items, such as dry rations, instant noodles, and bottled water.
If water sources such as drilled wells or open wells are flooded, they must be filtered and disinfected before use.
Additionally, monitoring the safety quality of food supplies and beverages provided by organizations and individuals to support flood-affected communities is crucial to ensure that products are not spoiled, moldy, damaged, or expired before reaching residents.
