Flooding has increased the risk of infectious diseases in Kathmandu

For the past few days, there has been flooding in many parts of the country, including Kathmandu Valley, due to the rain, and houses have been flooded. Due to this, the water and food we use is polluted and the possibility of epidemic has increased. When water and food are polluted, there is a possibility of outbreak of infectious diseases or epidemics.

Typhoid, cholera, leptospirosis, viral hepatitis ('A' or 'E'), E.coli, diarrhea and fever-like infectious diseases can spread after drowning.

In previous years, scrub typhus also spread during the rainy season. The risk of dengue, which is currently spreading from eastern Nepal, has also increased sharply after the flood. As the waste water from floods accumulates for a long time in old tires, drums, potholes, etc., mosquitoes can easily develop their growth.

Therefore, the risk of water-borne and insect-borne diseases is high in Kathmandu for the next few days or weeks. Cholera had spread in Kathmandu last year and dengue had become an epidemic.

Have you got a fever? Typhoid must have happened! In other words, typhoid is a well-known and old disease for Nepali people. This year, with the onset of summer, typhoid cases are increasing. Due to the recent floods in Kathmandu, typhoid may spread further.

The faeces of infected people contaminate drinking water and lead to typhoid infection. Typhoid is also spread through food. There have been reports of coliform bacteria found in faeces in drinking water sold in the market. Typhoid, fever, salmonella typhi and paratyphi can be seen from this water.

When dengue became an epidemic in Kathmandu last year, thousands were infected and many people lost their lives. Despite this, no one seems to pay attention to destroying mosquito larvae.

Fever, headache, tiredness, stomach ache, nausea, constipation or loose stools, some people have rashes on their body are the initial symptoms. Some may also experience cough and sore throat.

Such symptoms may appear in the patient from 6 to 30 days after infection. Complications may appear within 2 to 3 weeks of illness. Complicated problems such as holes in the intestines and bleeding can also be seen from such diseases, so it should be treated and diagnosed at the beginning.

Cholera was seen in Kathmandu last year and in October 2078 it spread in Krishnanagar Municipality of Kapilvastu. Cholera bacteria are also spread by mixing with water from the feces of infected people. Cholera has not been confirmed this year, but the risk remains the same until the rainy season ends.

With the floods in Kathmandu, the drinking water has become polluted and the risk of cholera has also increased. Sudden watery stools, vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle spasms are the main symptoms of cholera.

Symptoms of cholera appear in patients within 12 hours to 5 days after infection. In case of complicated cholera infection, if not treated in time, the patient may even die.

Leptospirosis is especially common in flood and landslide areas. Various researches have also shown that the possibility of leptospirosis spreading in floods is high.

This disease is transmitted to humans through the urine of animals and especially infected rats. Its bacteria enters the body through open skin (wounds), eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

Its main symptoms are high fever, headache, stomach ache, vomiting, red eyes, diarrhea and fever. If the complication increases, jaundice may appear and it may cause problems in the patient's liver, kidneys, and nerves (meningitis).

During the corona epidemic, seasonal infectious diseases were not seen on the surface, but now when the corona epidemic is not seen, infectious diseases seem to have increased again.

Insect diseases appear especially after the onset of monsoon. When water freezes in holes in open places, or when water is kept in drums or buckets for a long time at home, mosquitoes grow and develop easily in such water. At present, the dengue virus is being spread rapidly by mosquitoes with Sunsari's Dharan as its center.

It is often impossible to prevent dengue if mosquitoes cannot be destroyed when they become larvae or pupae. After becoming an adult, mosquitoes enter house to house, mosquitoes become active during the day when people are busy with work. When dengue became an epidemic in Kathmandu last year, thousands were infected and many people lost their lives.

Despite this, no one seems to pay attention to destroying mosquito larvae. Therefore, until dengue becomes an epidemic again in Kathmandu, there is no possibility of action to destroy the larvae. But if that is really the thinking, it will be slow to control the current dengue spread like last year.

With the flood in Kathmandu, there is a possibility of water accumulation for a long time in many places. Mosquitoes can easily develop their growth in such frozen water. At present, although there is no problem like Dharan in Kathmandu, mosquitoes are increasing and dengue patients are also appearing sporadically.

This year, there is less chance of dengue epidemic in Kathmandu like last year, but there is a possibility that many patients may be found in some pocket areas throughout the monsoon.

During the corona epidemic, seasonal infectious diseases were not seen on the surface, but now when the corona epidemic is not seen, infectious diseases seem to have increased again. National and international experiences have shown that the risk of infectious diseases is higher during the rainy season and especially during natural disasters such as floods.

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