Three Rainy Seasonal Diseases That Lurk Together with Floods

Awareness of the outbreak of the rainy season must be increased. Some diseases can easily spread, especially if the rainy season causes a flood. Some infectious diseases are easily endemic when there is a flood. Water-borne diseases, such as leptospirosis, diarrhea, and typhoid fever, tend to have more potential to increase even though these diseases also have high cases outside the rainy season. Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue fever, will also increase during the rainy season. In addition, dirty water during flooding can also cause dermatitis, wound infections, eye infections, and respiratory infections.

Three Rainy Season Diseases Related to Floods

If your environment is at risk of flooding, then be aware of the possibility of the following diseases:

• Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is caused by a bacterial infection of Leptospira and is usually spread through animals. Some animals that often spread this disease are mice, cows, dogs and pigs. The risk of getting leptospirosis will be even higher, if you come into direct contact with the flow or pool of water that has been contaminated with urine from these animals. Among the intermediary animal infections above, rats are the most common cause and should be more careful. Symptoms of leptospirosis usually resemble mild flu symptoms, which are chills, headaches, and muscle aches. In addition, vomiting, skin rashes, red eyes, and yellowing of the skin can appear. If left unchecked to be severe, this infection can threaten the lives of sufferers. Severe infections of leptospirosis can cause bleeding in the body and organ failure (brain, kidney, lungs, and liver). The severe form of this disease is usually called Weil's disease.

• Dengue fever

bloody. In 2015, there were around 126 thousand cases of dengue fever in Indonesia. This disease is caused by dengue virus which is transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Symptoms of dengue fever that are often felt include:
• High fever.
• Nausea.
• Throw up.
• Pain behind the eyes.
• Skin rash.
• Muscle and bone pain.
The typical sign is that the fever will subside at a critical phase which usually begins to occur within 48 hours of the initial symptoms of dengue fever. In some cases, dengue fever can be dangerous and life threatening if not treated immediately. This condition is called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), the symptoms are continuous vomiting, bleeding from the gums and nose, fatigue, blood in urine, blackish stools, abdominal pain, to difficulty breathing and shock. Immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of dengue fever.

• Diarrhea

Diarrhea is also one of the diseases that often strikes when flooded, although in fact this disease also often occurs throughout the year. Poor sanitation and eating food that has been contaminated with flood water, is a trigger factor for someone experiencing diarrhea. Some common symptoms of diarrhea are loose stools, more frequent bowel movements, flatulence, and stomach cramps. In cases of severe diarrhea, the sufferer will also experience fever, blood in the stool, as well as weight loss and dehydration.

In fact, the rainy season disease above can attack anyone who lives in an area with poor sanitation systems. Performing routine maintenance on the sanitation system must be carried out without waiting for the rainy season to arrive. If until the rainy season arrives, especially if floods hit, the risk of contracting the above diseases will be much higher.

Preventing Disease when Flooding in the Rainy Season

Maintaining health when floods hit is very important. Moreover, flooding can bring various diseases that can infect anyone. Here are some ways to prevent the spread of disease when flooded, including:

• Sterilize the water you want to consume by boiling it.
• Always wash your hands with soap and clean water.
• Wash all food ingredients with clean water. Avoid foods that may be contaminated with flood water.
• Wash all clothes that have been contaminated with flood water with soap and clean water.
• Wash clean and dry all furniture in the house that may be flooded. It aims to prevent the onset of the rainy season disease that often occurs after floods.
• Perform immunizations to prevent transmission of diseases due to flooding.
• Avoid mosquito bites during the rainy season. You can also use anti-mosquito medication.
• Clean all the places that might be breeding mosquitoes.
• If you have an open wound and are directly exposed to flood water, clean your wound immediately and apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
• Prevent children from playing in places where there are floods.

Maintaining environmental cleanliness and preparing yourself before the arrival of the rainy season is the best step to prevent the spread of disease during the rainy season and floods. See a doctor immediately if you have certain diseases during a flood to get proper treatment.