Govt dismisses health fears
Stinking water 'poses little threat'; Disease fatalities are minimal so far
Despite filthy stagnant floodwater spreading in many provinces, the government yesterday tried to play down fears of a public health crisis, citing the "success" in avoiding outbreak of fatal communicable diseases like leptospirosis and cholera.
Disease Control Department (DCD) director general Porntep Siriwanarangsun yesterday assured the public that although incidences of communicable diseases were detected during the ongoing flood crisis, they did not pose a serious threat.
Of more than 2.1 million Thais seriously affected by floods, fewer than 100,000 are staying at government shelters. That means at least 2 million people have been making do on their own, taking care of their own foods, drinks as well as hygiene. Many have had to live with no electricity and clean water has been scarce. Garbage has been accumulating, but it is not the only reason why floodwaters in many areas have become almost unbearably smelly.
Concerns have grown about the government’s ability to cope with an exploding health emergency, as the Flood Relief Operations Centre is structured primarily for water management and immediate rescue operations. FROC’s reach has proved very limited in rescue activities, let alone dealing with a health crisis at a time when a large number of people could be exposed to diseases, hospital personnel have been stretched or affected by floods themselves, and transport proven difficult.
The government, however, expressed confident that the situation is still under control. “We have been monitoring the situation. Some cases are detected but the diseases are not spreading among a big group of people,” Porntep pointed out.
Public fear about health risks during the ongoing floods has increased lately after international agencies such as World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have voiced concerns.
Matthew Cochrane, communications and advocacy manager, SouthEast Asia at IFRC, was quoted by CNN a few days ago as warning of diseases such as diarrhoea, dengue fever and malaria in the coming days and weeks in floodhit areas.
"There are places on the outskirts of Bangkok and in other parts of the country which have been flooded for nearly two weeks,” he was quoted as speaking.
Pornthep yesterday said to date, common diseases found among the flood victims at 160 evacuation centres were just mere cold, diarrhoea, and conjunctivitis.
“No dysentery. No typhoid,” he said.
He disclosed that one case of cholera was detected in Bangkok’s Prawet district but diseasecontrol measures were already put in place there.
“We are confident that there will be no outbreak of cholera in Bangkok,” he said.
Asked if a large number of people would catch cholera if some cholerainfected human faeces were dropped into floodwater, Pornthep said, “If you don’t directly contact the infected stuff or put it into your mouth, there’s no significant risk. But to play safe, please eat only fullycooked and safe food”.
On leptospirosis, Pornthep said some cases were detected in Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet with two deaths reported.
“However, their deaths are not related to flooding,” he said, “They caught the disease after they went back to their farms. Floodwater has already subsided”.
Leptospirosis is a dangerous disease. Infected people may succumb within seven days if they do not receive proper treatment.
Pornthep said available statistics from floodhit foreign countries showed about one per cent of floodvictim population would come down with leptospirosis.
He, therefore, believed that Thailand would see more than 10,000 people catching the disease because flooding has already directly affected about one million people in the country. He also believed most patients would be the residents of Bangkok and its adjacent provinces.
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called a spirochete.
Leptospirosis can be transmitted by many animals such as rats. It is transmitted though contact with infected soil or water. The soil or water is contaminated with the waste products of an infected animal. People contract the disease by either ingesting contaminated food or water or by broken skin and mucous membrane (eyes, nose, sinuses, mouth) contact with the contaminated water or soil.
“Rats won’t run around when floodwater is high. But once floodwater subsides, people must quickly dispose of garbage or else rats will show up and spread the disease,” Pornthep said.
Currently, runoff water from the upper part of the country is crashing down on Bangkok and its adjacent provinces. A large number of city residents have now lived in their seriouslyflooded homes.
Asked about infected waste at hosiptals, Pornthep said hospitals were already instructed about how to safely dispose such waste in flood time.
“The risk of contracting serious diseases from infected waste is almost nil,” he said.
Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said DCD had received Bt7 million for the urgent mission of controlling the communicable diseases during the flood.
Pollution Control Department deputy director general Worasat Apaipong estimated that flood victims would accumulate about 1.45 million tonnes of garbage during floods for the authorities to tackle once floodwater subsided.
“There will be damaged furniture items and electric appliances to tackle,” he said.
