Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) yesterday urged people to wear proper safety equipment when cleaning up after flooding caused by Typhoon Gaemi.
Chiu also urged people to disinfect their homes and cook food thoroughly after flooding to prevent waterborne disease.
The typhoon that swept across the nation last week caused serious flooding in some parts of the south, and many people are still cleaning up their homes after wind and flood damage, he said.
Photo: CNA
“I want to remind everyone to stay safe when cleaning up and be careful not to get cut or stabbed by sharp objects during the process, as open wounds exposed to floodwater can increase the risk of infection,” he said.
People should carefully examine affected areas and remove standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in them, and carefully disinfect their home and practice good food hygiene to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, he said
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that a few diseases are often reported shortly after a typhoon, such as leptospirosis, melioidosis and dengue infections.
The risk of contracting leptospirosis and melioidosis, bacterial infections that affect people and animals, often increases after a typhoon or flood, when people come into contact with contaminated water or soil, Chuang said.
The bacterium that causes melioidosis can also be spread by strong winds and inhaled by people, he added.
“Typhoon Gaemi was similar to Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which caused serious flooding in central and southern Taiwan, and after the storm, outbreaks of melioidosis and leptospirosis were reported,” he said. “The CDC urges people to take precautions and asks that doctors stay alert for possible cases.”
Typhoons in previous years also often caused an increase in dengue fever infections, especially if dengue cases had been reported before the typhoon, such as when Typhoon Soudelor hit in 2015 and Typhoon Khanun last year, Chuang said.
“While there were no local dengue cases reported since early last month, there are still imported cases of dengue and Chikungunya fever, and if some were undetected, post-flood can still increase the risk of a local outbreak,” he said.
The CDC has distributed disinfectants to local governments in areas of central and southern Taiwan that were most affected by Gaemi, Chuang said.
Yesterday morning, it issued a notification to medical personnel nationwide to stay alert to possible diseases.
If local governments need additional personnel for cleanup operations, the CDC would report it to the Cabinet to make arrangements to provide more help, Chuang said.
Taipei Medical Association chairperson Hung Te-jen (洪德仁) said that some diseases related to flooding might not present with clear symptoms, but common mild symptoms could include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, rashes, diarrhea, and pain behind the eyes.
“People should be on alert and see a physician if they suffer ‘pain behind the eyes,’ and tell a doctor whether they had been cleaning up flood-contaminated areas, if they have open wounds, had direct exposure to floodwater or have mosquito bites, to help diagnose possible infections or tetanus,” he said.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said the centers enhances disease surveillance for a month after a natural disaster, as the incubation period of leptospirosis could be up to 30 days and up to 21 days for melioidosis, while mosquitoes can grow from eggs to adults in a week.
People should “examine, empty, clean and scrub” empty containers and ditches that can hold standing water; wear protective gear such as long sleeves, long waterproof boots and gloves, and a mask, when cleaning up after a flood; and not eat floodwater contaminated food or frozen food that has thawed too long, he said.
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