 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Disease threatens Philippine flood survivors: officials
Manila (AFP) Oct 18, 2009 More than a million flood survivors are getting antibiotics to help them resist a deadly bacterial outbreak, one of several diseases menacing crowded evacuation centres, Philippine officials said Sunday. After tropical storms Ketsana and Parma, which together killed 818 people according to the latest official count, the immediate threat is leptospirosis, caused by exposure to water contaminated with rat urine. The government said the disease has claimed an additional 89 lives. The health department has declared an outbreak of the bacterial disease in the Marikina section of Manila, one of the areas hardest hit by Ketsana, which flooded 80 percent of the capital on September 26. Health Secretary Francisco Duque has ordered drugs given to 1.3 million people as added protection against the disease, which if untreated could lead to kidney failure. "Even our staff have been ordered to take antibiotics," said Bing Ramos, a doctor at the state-run Amang Rodriguez Medical Centre in the Marikina district. Two of the hospital's 68 leptospirosis patients are in serious condition, including one with symptoms of renal failure, Ramos told AFP. The hospital, which the government said suffered 380 million pesos (8.2 million dollars) in damage from the floods, has converted its lobby into an extra ward to house the leptospirosis cases. "In ordinary times we would have just one or two cases at a time," she said. The health department said in a statement that it has vaccinated children for measles in areas affected by the Ketsana floods, and given tetanus toxoid vaccines for all injured victims of the storm. Tap water supplied to evacuation centres, which still house more than 206,000 people, are being tested and five sites have tested positive for the E. coli bacteria, it said. Water disinfectants are being supplied to these facilities, it added. The department said it is also supplying vitamins to children at these centres. Respiratory tract infections, fevers, skin diseases, infected wounds and diarrhoea are among the most common ailments at the evacuation centres, it added. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola
Swine flu vaccines delayed as US deaths climbWashington (AFP) Oct 16, 2009 US health officials warned Friday that deliveries of swine flu vaccine may be delayed as influenza deaths climbed above epidemic levels in most states, hitting children particularly hard. Eleven more children were reported to have died of flu in a single week, with 10 of the pediatric deaths confirmed by laboratory tests as being from H1N1 flu, Anne Schuchat, a senior official at the Centers ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook