Fear of disease outbreak in Hai Duong after flooding

Potential for disease outbreaks

By the morning of September 19, some streets and alleys in residential areas 7, 8, 9 in Hai Tan ward (Hai Duong city) were still wet and filled with black water. After many days of soaking in water, branches and leaves began to decompose, giving off an unpleasant stench.

A row of boarding houses in residential area No. 8 is littered with garbage and stagnant water. Many families in this residential area are actively cleaning and disinfecting their houses after the water receded.

Ms. Truong Thi Tiep at 58 Tran Ich Phat Street (Zone 8, Hai Tan Ward) pointed to the water marks on the wall of her house and said: "The water flooded the entire first floor and has only receded for 2 days. The walls and many furniture were soaked in water for many days, causing mold and a very unpleasant smell. I have to clean it up quickly to prevent flies, mosquitoes, and bacteria from growing and causing disease."

Residential areas 7, 8, 9 of Hai Tan ward were flooded for a long time. Water flooded the streets, overflowed into hundreds of households’ houses, public works, and educational facilities. By September 17, the water in these areas had completely receded.

Concerned that the polluted environment would increase the risk of disease outbreaks, since September 17, after the water receded, Hai Tan Ward has mobilized officials, civil servants, workers, police and military forces, and local people to carry out a general environmental cleaning campaign in the three residential areas above. Officials and members of organizations from non-flooded residential areas have also stepped up their support.

Hai Duong City Medical Center has prioritized providing Hai Tan Ward with 22 kg of Cloramin B chemicals. The Provincial General Hospital also supported the ward with 30 kg of this type of chemical. The forces divided into many streets to spray disinfectant.

"The ward also gives each household a package of CloraminB to spray disinfectant themselves. Every day we go to the grassroots to monitor, guide, and join people in cleaning the environment to minimize the risk of disease outbreaks," informed Chairman of Hai Tan Ward People's Committee Pham Van Mai.

After the flood receded, two villages outside the Thai Binh River dike that were flooded, including My Xa (Minh Tan commune) and Lau Khe (Hiep Cat commune, both Nam Sach district), launched a general environmental cleaning campaign and sprayed disinfectants with the support of many forces.

All kinds of garbage, mud, and floating animal carcasses in the two villages have been treated. However, some areas are still flooded, and fallen trees in ponds and canals have not been cleaned up and are starting to rot and stink.

A large number of dead fish drifting on the banks of the Thai Binh River are emitting a foul smell. Not only polluting the air, the decomposing fish also provide an environment for some intermediate disease-carrying species such as flies and mosquitoes to thrive. After the flood, the river water is polluted. Underground water tanks serving the daily needs of some families are also infiltrated by river water.

Ms. Doan Thi The in Lau Khe village worried: "Many villagers have contracted some skin diseases, especially athlete's foot and itching."

Close monitoring

Hai Duong's health sector has provided tons of Cloramin B chemicals to localities to support disinfection spraying; disseminated and issued many documents guiding environmental sanitation and disease prevention before, during and after floods, especially in flooded areas. Localities are actively implementing environmental sanitation according to the "4 on-site" motto.

The Medical Centers of districts, towns, cities and the medical stations of communes in flooded areas send staff to monitor and urge the forces and people to seriously implement the instructions every day. Deputy Director of the Medical Center of Hai Duong City Dang Van Nguyen, who was directly present at residential area No. 8, Hai Tan Ward to guide the environmental sanitation work, said: "Every day we go down to the residential areas. This must be closely monitored because if the epidemic breaks out, it will cause negative impacts on people's health and socio-economic development."

The water in Lau Khe village has receded, but medic Can Thi Huyen, Deputy Head of Hiep Cat Commune Health Station (Nam Sach) still regularly comes down to distribute leaflets and instruct people on environmental sanitation and disease prevention. Ms. Huyen said: "We have organized disinfection spraying throughout the village. In the next few days, we will deploy the second spraying. The station is focusing on instructing households to clean their houses and wash tools and utensils after the storm and flood."

In recent days, the Dermatology Clinic (Hai Duong Eye and Dermatology Hospital) has had 180-200 patients come to examine and treat fungal diseases, athlete's foot, ringworm, folliculitis, boils, scabies, contact dermatitis, etc. Storms, prolonged flooding, and humid environments are the reasons for the bacteria that cause these diseases to develop.