Contaminated water in RS should cause life-threatening illnesses and dengue outbreak, says infectious disease specialist | Rio Grande do Sul

The rains that hit Rio Grande do Sul a week ago must result in a series of diseases, according to infectious disease specialist Stephanie Scalco. In human contact, water mixed with rat urine can cause leptospirosis what, in severe cases, it can kill. Damaged water tends to generate outbreaks of dengue. Until this Monday (6), the storms in the state had already caused 85 deaths.

The waters that flood cities are dangerous as they join the sewage, according to the infectious disease specialist, who is the medical manager of the Infection Control Service at the Ernesto Dornelles Hospital, in Porto Alegre. The diseases that can be contracted from this contact are hepatitis A, viral gastroenteritis, bacterial gastroenteritis, leptospirosis and intestinal parasites.

“The water contains human excrement, there is residue from human and non-human feces. So, everything that can be transmitted through sewage will be present in this water”, he states.

The expert states that the chance of contracting a disease in the water is associated with a series of factors, such as prolonged contact, open wounds, accidental ingestion It is contact with the mouth or nose.

The manifestation of symptoms varies according to the disease, but can appear quickly after drinking water, according to the doctor. It reinforces that the The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and malaise after ingestion, and may appear after 24 hours of exposure.. Already the leptospirosis It can have an incubation period that varies between three and 20 days, resulting in death in more serious cases.

“These diseases always have a risk of death. It will depend a lot on the fragility of the person who contracted it, so the sicker the more fragile, [pior]. Elderly people, children are at greater risk of mortality, we have a considerable percentage of leptospirosis cases that evolve into a serious form”, he states.

Rio Grande do Sul is once again on alert for new storms from Wednesday (8)

For the specialist, the best way to prevent diseases is avoid contact with flood waters, but if this is impossible, there are a series of precautions that can be taken. Between them:

• Do not come into contact with water in case of open wounds (if this is not possible, cover the area)
• Do not stay submerged in water for more than 15 minutes
• Wear clothing that covers all parts of the skin (pants, boots, gloves)
• Do not drink water
• If the only water available for consumption is flood water, boil it before

The Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases released a joint note this Sunday (5) recommending the use of doxycycline or azithromycin for two groups exposed to flood waters:

• Rescue teams and volunteers exposed to water for a prolonged period of time without personal protective equipment
• People exposed to flooding for a long period, based on careful medical assessment of the risk of exposure

Although it is not a routinely recommended action, the entity states that, in high risk situations, the intervention can be considered, even if it is not 100% effective. The document is also signed by the Gaúcha Society of Infectious Diseases and the state Department of Health (SES). The guidance does not include pregnant and breastfeeding women.

“It will be a challenge for other health teams to diagnose so many possible diseases. So, febrile syndrome will be included in the diagnosis, [podendo ser] dengue, leptospirosis, hepatitis. All of this will be a very big challenge post-catastrophe. It’s a concern for health authorities too,” he says.

The rains that have been hitting Rio Grande do Sul for a week – since April 29 – are the biggest climate disaster in the state’s history, surpassing a major flood that occurred in the 1940s. The National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (Cemaden ) estimates that almost 700 millimeters were recorded in some parts of the state in recent days.

According to Civil Defense, until Monday night (6) there were 85 dead and 134 missing. Four other deaths were under investigation. 385 of the 497 municipalities of the state registered some disturbance, affecting 1.178 million of people. 201.5 thousand people are away from home – 47.6 thousand in shelters and 153.8 thousand homeless (in the homes of family or friends).

Since Sunday, the rain has stopped in the region, but the floods still persist – and it should take up to four days to subside. There is also a forecast of more rain in the region from the middle of this week onwards – which could worsen the situation in areas already hit by storms.