Dominican Republic issues alert for risk of increased infectious diseases due rains and floods

by NewsDesk Lord save her

The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS), through the Directorate General of Epidemiology (DIGEPI), issued an epidemiological alert on Saturday due to the risks of an increase in diseases in the population affected by rains and floods.

He stresses that the purpose of the precautionary alert is to draw the attention of the entire population, especially those who have been affected or displaced, in order to prevent the outbreak or spread of diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, leptospirosis and gastrointestinal, among others, respiratory or infectious infections such as COVID-19.

This alert is also intended to strengthen the system of notified disease surveillance (ENO) related to these events and to put in place measures for response, control and prevention in the event of an outbreak.

MISPAS explains that according to the Meteorological Bulletin of the National Office of Meteorology (ONAMET), the weather is expected to be cloudy from the morning hours with locally heavy rain, electric storms and gusts of wind.

While the Emergency Operations Center (COE) announces 21 provinces on alert, 12 provinces are in yellow (La Altagracia, Hato Mayor, El Cebu, Semana, Monte Plata, Sanchez Ramirez, Monsignor Noel, San Cristobal, San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Cristi Santo Domingo and National District).

Thus, 9 provinces (Puerto Plata, Santiago, Valverde, Santiago Rodriguez, San Juan, La Vega, Duarte, Maria Trinidad Sanchez and Azoa) are also on green alert.
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Remember that the Dominican government issued Decree No. 638-22, declaring a state of emergency in the National District and the Province of Santo Domingo.

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In light of this, conditions, warnings and weather warnings remain in effect. It also calls for consideration of soil saturation, which can cause larger floods.

The Ministry of Public Health states that exposure to flood waters can cause diseases such as wounds, skin infections and leptospirosis.

Others, such as gastro-intestinal diseases, due to the consumption of contaminated water, those transmitted by vectors such as dengue and malaria, therefore advocate the elimination of artefacts that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

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Other events that increase in the rainy and hurricane season are tetanus, acute respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, and COVID-19.

The Ministry of Public Health directs the following actions:

Protect drinking water, wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before every meal, cook and wash food, fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Also to the Regional Directorates of Health, District Health Directorates and the National Health Service to provide the usual response in a timely manner and activate rapid response mechanisms.