29/11/2025
🌪️ Cyclone Ditwah: Path, Flooding, and Post-Flood Consequences
The path of , the resultant flooding, and the consequences following the flood:
👉 What are the post-flood diseases?
👉 What are the symptoms?
👉 How to protect oneself?
📌 Due to continuous heavy rains, floodwaters have submerged low-lying areas and towns across the North, East, and the entirety of Sri Lanka.
📌 Many people have even lost their homes. The flood has claimed many lives. Huts and houses have been partially or completely damaged by the floods. Even as the water slowly recedes, the side effects will be numerous.
📌 After the floodwaters recede, the spread of infectious diseases is likely. We must closely monitor the health hazards caused by the floods.
👉 In other words, we must be aware of the main factors causing environmental water pollution due to flooding.
👉 There are many reasons for environmental and water pollution.
👉 But specifically, when human and animal waste (urine), chemicals mixed in floodwaters, carcasses of dead animals, worms, and snakes are carried away by the flood, major disasters occur.
👉 The mixing of numerous chemicals and the toxic water overflowing from toilets cause many health problems. For this reason, one should not linger in contaminated water or wash the body and limbs with that water.
💥 HEPATITIS A (Jaundice) awareness can be learned by providing necessary advice and conduct guidelines to a patient. Following medical advice will cure the disease.
💥 However, another disease caused by sanitation issues during floods is LEPTOSPIROSIS (Rat Fever). This is spread through contaminated and toxic water. Therefore, if a child or adult develops a fever or any other illness, seeking immediate medical treatment will help understand the situation.
👉 Rat fever is another dangerous disease caused by rain. Symptoms appear within 2–21 days after the bacteria enters the body. High fever, muscle pain, headache, redness of the eyes, reduced urination, difficulty breathing, and fainting may occur. If such symptoms persist, medical advice must be sought.
📌 If rat fever is not treated properly, vital organs like the kidneys, heart, and brain can fail, leading to death.
👉 Rat fever is caused when water contaminated with rat urine comes into contact with human skin or underlying mucous membranes.
👉 Headache and muscle pain are the main symptoms of this fever.
👉 If there is any cut or wound on the feet, the chances of contracting rat fever are higher.
👉 Therefore, before going out, one must apply antiseptic medication to the wound.
📌 Importantly, sanitation workers, rescue personnel, farmers, and those who are compelled to work in water or must stand in stagnant water can wear gloves on their hands and feet to prevent rat fever.
👉 The medicine DOXYCYCLINE can be taken as a precaution, morning and evening, upon the advice of your family doctor.
💥 CHOLERA
👉 Cholera is another disease caused by unsanitary water.
👉 Cholera occurs during natural disasters or situations where a large number of people have to stay in one place and clean drinking water is unavailable.
👉 Watery diarrhea resembling rice water is the main symptom of this disease. Those affected by cholera will have fever and vomiting for one or two days. The body's water level will drastically decrease.
👉 Oral rehydration therapy, known as Jeevani (ORS), must be followed. Delayed diagnosis can be life-threatening.
👉 According to medical guidelines, consuming only well-cooked food and drinking only boiled water are the main ways to prevent this disease.
👉 To avoid diseases spread by unsanitary water, it is essential to boil water in a clean vessel before drinking it. Water can also be purified using chlorine.
💥 TYPHOID
👉 High fever is the main symptom. Headache, abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea are other symptoms.
👉 This disease, caused by the Salmonella bacteria, affects the liver. Antibiotics are provided to cure it.
👉 Since this disease is spread through faeces, it is essential to ensure hygienic care for affected children.
👉 Although there are vaccines against Typhoid and Cholera, they do not provide complete protection.
💥 Dengue/Chikungunya
👉 The production of mosquitoes increases due to water stagnation.
👉 This can increase the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue, and Chikungunya.
👉 Currently, DENGUE and CHIKUNGUNYA are more prevalent in Sri Lanka than Malaria. The accumulation of rainwater and floodwater increases mosquito breeding. Therefore, Dengue and Chikungunya, caused by Aedes mosquitoes, may occur.
👉 After the Anopheles mosquitoes were completely eradicated in Sri Lanka, the production of Aedes mosquitoes is higher than Malaria.
👉 Consequently, Dengue and Chikungunya affect us more. The incidence of Chikungunya had already begun before the current flood. Its impact may increase in the coming weeks.
👉 High fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, vomiting, pain behind the eyes, and rashes are symptoms of Dengue.
👉 Just as there is no direct medicine to combat many viral diseases, there is no medicine that directly attacks the virus that causes Dengue.
👉 Therefore, maintaining adequate hydration is the primary treatment for this disease. Symptoms like continuous vomiting, bleeding from the mouth or nose, and shortness of breath can be life-threatening.
👉 It is essential to protect children from mosquitoes. Children are the most affected by Dengue. Therefore, keeping infants under mosquito nets is necessary.
👉 For children over 5 years old, mosquito repellent cream can be applied to areas not covered by clothes, excluding the face and neck.
👉 To avoid mosquito-borne diseases, wear clothes that completely cover the hands and feet, especially for children.
👉 Rainwater and sewage stagnation must be removed immediately. Even water purified through RO (Reverse Osmosis) or bottled water can spread diseases. Therefore, only boiled water should be drunk.
👉 Eating fully cooked home-made food is the safest. Avoid drinking juice, buttermilk, or cold drinks from shops. Ensure children wash their hands.
👉 Symptoms of Chikungunya appear 3 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Fever and joint pain are its main symptoms.
➡️ Stay Safe,
➡️ Maintain Cleanliness,
➡️ Eat Clean, Cooked Food,
➡️ Drink Boiled Water,
➡️ Avoid Mosquito Bites,
➡️ Avoid walking in stagnant, contaminated water.
🇱🇰 Let's stay safe,
🇱🇰 Let's help protect others.