Floods happen when soil and vegetation cannot absorb all the water. Floods can give the major impact on the health systems esspecially the human populations because the range of possible health outcomes is not very good. The direct and immediate impacts on humans health includes loss of life, injuries, lack of clean water and destroyed sewage systems. Floods also can cause the damage of infrastructural, contamination the water supplies, spread and bring out many kinds of diseases, shortage of food crops and slow down the economics.
Floods can potentially increase the water borne diseases like gastrointestinal disease, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, leptospirosis and cases of vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. The gastrointestinal diseases like cholera and diarrheal infections are the most common flood related diseases because it can easily spread or contracted after drinking water or eating food contaminated by common bacteria pathogens such as Vibrio cholera that produce toxins, Escherichia coli (EPEC)0157 particularly in infants and young children and thypoid bacteria like Salmonella and Shigella. Transmission of other parasites such as Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, and Gardia lamblia occurs when a person eats or drinks something that has been contamination with infection faeces. The outbreak involved mostly in adults and also children and was controlled after adequate water and sanitation facilities were provided. Poorly treated human sewage contains pathogens that are a key cause of diarrheal infections. Bacteria pathogens also present in public water supplies where the floods can contaminated the underground pipelines and dislocation of storage tanks. Therefore, the water supplies in home may be not unsafe for drinking, cooking or other routine working. The other symptoms involved with flood related diseases include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, allergic and abdominal cramps. However, loss of body fluids rapidly can lead to dehydration because the electrotytes imbalance in the body. Loss of body fluids can treat by replacement with the normal saline or oral rehydration salt. A healthy person may becomes hypotensive within an hour of the onset of symptoms and may die within 2-3 hours if no treatment is provided.
Other flood related diseases which are not mentioned in the article are mold infection. Mold is the common type of fungi infection. Mold is a kind of microscopic fungi. There are many types of mold are present throught out the environment, indoors and out. Tiny mold particles are always present in the air, in the form of tiny microscopic cells known as spores. Mold spores can grow and seat in a moist or damp environment or any surface that contains organic matter. A home that been flooded can provided ideal conditions or the growth and poliferation of mold. Peoples who are exposure to very long period of mold, can get more serious problem such as nasal and sinus congestion, cough,wheeze or breathing difficulties, sore throat, skin and eye irritation and upper respiratory infections. The group that have been risk to the mold infections such as infants, children, elderly, individuals with respiratory conditions, allergies, asthma problem and persons with weakened immune systems(HIV infection, cancer patients taking chemotherapy,organ transplant recepients). The places are very easily mold to growth are, damages building structural, such as ceiling, walls, carpet, woodwork, sink, furniture, cabinets ,tiles bathroom and other strored items. Removal and cleaning are important because even dead mold may cause allergic reactions. To prevent mold growth, clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water.
The alternative ways to curb one of the diseases especially the water borne diseases are water quality, food safety, sanitation and personal hygiene, precautions during handling clean -up activities and take the immunisation when appropriate. The public are advised to used only water that have boiled or treated with chlorine and iodine for drinking, eating food that have been thoroughly cooked and avoid food or drinks from street vendors. The public also must wash the cloths or anything that contact with flood water more completely. Practice proper hand washing also to prevent infection with certain pathogens that may be transmitted from farm animals. Secure all food sources and remove any animal carcasses to avoid attracting rats. Wear insect repellant when outdoors because it can lead to more mosquitoes, which can carry disease. For mold infection,use rubber gloves, eye goggles and wear outer clothing (long sleeved shirts and long pants) that can removed before leaving the working area.People who have health problems should not do clean up work where there is heavy mold growth or materials contaminated with mold.
Floods can potentially increase the water borne diseases like gastrointestinal disease, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, leptospirosis and cases of vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. The gastrointestinal diseases like cholera and diarrheal infections are the most common flood related diseases because it can easily spread or contracted after drinking water or eating food contaminated by common bacteria pathogens such as Vibrio cholera that produce toxins, Escherichia coli (EPEC)0157 particularly in infants and young children and thypoid bacteria like Salmonella and Shigella. Transmission of other parasites such as Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, and Gardia lamblia occurs when a person eats or drinks something that has been contamination with infection faeces. The outbreak involved mostly in adults and also children and was controlled after adequate water and sanitation facilities were provided. Poorly treated human sewage contains pathogens that are a key cause of diarrheal infections. Bacteria pathogens also present in public water supplies where the floods can contaminated the underground pipelines and dislocation of storage tanks. Therefore, the water supplies in home may be not unsafe for drinking, cooking or other routine working. The other symptoms involved with flood related diseases include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, allergic and abdominal cramps. However, loss of body fluids rapidly can lead to dehydration because the electrotytes imbalance in the body. Loss of body fluids can treat by replacement with the normal saline or oral rehydration salt. A healthy person may becomes hypotensive within an hour of the onset of symptoms and may die within 2-3 hours if no treatment is provided.
Other flood related diseases which are not mentioned in the article are mold infection. Mold is the common type of fungi infection. Mold is a kind of microscopic fungi. There are many types of mold are present throught out the environment, indoors and out. Tiny mold particles are always present in the air, in the form of tiny microscopic cells known as spores. Mold spores can grow and seat in a moist or damp environment or any surface that contains organic matter. A home that been flooded can provided ideal conditions or the growth and poliferation of mold. Peoples who are exposure to very long period of mold, can get more serious problem such as nasal and sinus congestion, cough,wheeze or breathing difficulties, sore throat, skin and eye irritation and upper respiratory infections. The group that have been risk to the mold infections such as infants, children, elderly, individuals with respiratory conditions, allergies, asthma problem and persons with weakened immune systems(HIV infection, cancer patients taking chemotherapy,organ transplant recepients). The places are very easily mold to growth are, damages building structural, such as ceiling, walls, carpet, woodwork, sink, furniture, cabinets ,tiles bathroom and other strored items. Removal and cleaning are important because even dead mold may cause allergic reactions. To prevent mold growth, clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water.
The alternative ways to curb one of the diseases especially the water borne diseases are water quality, food safety, sanitation and personal hygiene, precautions during handling clean -up activities and take the immunisation when appropriate. The public are advised to used only water that have boiled or treated with chlorine and iodine for drinking, eating food that have been thoroughly cooked and avoid food or drinks from street vendors. The public also must wash the cloths or anything that contact with flood water more completely. Practice proper hand washing also to prevent infection with certain pathogens that may be transmitted from farm animals. Secure all food sources and remove any animal carcasses to avoid attracting rats. Wear insect repellant when outdoors because it can lead to more mosquitoes, which can carry disease. For mold infection,use rubber gloves, eye goggles and wear outer clothing (long sleeved shirts and long pants) that can removed before leaving the working area.People who have health problems should not do clean up work where there is heavy mold growth or materials contaminated with mold.
by Yati ,
Taiping Perak.
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