The Deputy Minister of Community Health, Rafael Schiffino has announced that the Ministry of Public Health is taking a series of measure to prevent cholera and other epidemics from increasing after the recent rains and floods.
He said that the health authorities would work together with the water companies and the local councils to strengthen preventative measures in areas like La Barquita and La Victoria in Greater Santo Domingo and the communities that were affected in Azua province.
The National Cholera Commission has also met to discuss what needed to be done, taking into account that cholera can quickly become an epidemic given that it is caused by bacteria transmitted via contaminated water. They also recognized that as many water systems have been cut off, people are having to store water, which provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes that transmit dengue.
Another potential outbreak is leptospirosis that comes from rats’ urine, so they advised people not to walk barefoot, and to ensure that kitchen utensils are washed and that food is thoroughly cooked through.
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2012/10/30/i357705_salud-publica-toma-medidas-para-evitar-epidemia-despues-lluvias.html