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Starting in May of 2016, and persisting throughout June and July China has been hit by repeated heavy flooding due to an unusually strong `Mei-Yu' (an expected summer stationary front), along with contributions from Typhoon Nepartak and Typhoon Nida.
The full extent of the damage is unknown, in large part because China clamped down on independent reporting by local news agencies (see BBC China shuts several online news sites for independent reporting) in late July.
But the reporting we have seen suggests this may be the worst flooding in China in nearly two decades, and that the economic losses may run well over 30 billion dollars, much of which is uninsured.
An insurance industry report issued last week (Impact Forecasting’s monthly Global Catastrophe Recap) cited:
- At least 20 provincial regions have been impacted by floods since May
- 18 million acres of cropland damaged by floodwater
- 800,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed
- 764 people are dead or missing
Given the muted coverage, and China's history of downplaying natural disasters, it seems likely the actual toll will be much higher.
The aftermath of floods can include epidemics from spoiled food and contaminated water, contamination and loss of farmlands, increases in vector borne diseases, and increases in animal diseases (including avian influenza) in stressed livestock.
Of particular concern is how this flooding will affect China's planting of winter wheat and other agricultural production going into 2017.
While media coverage of the flood damage may be subdued, Chinese media have been publishing some stark warnings about post-flood dangers, including warnings over eating drowned livestock.
This from the Qinghai News Network.
After the flood prevention experts need to remind 9: do not drink unboiled water do not eat dead poultry
Source: People Author: Date: 2016-08-07 09:50
Into the summer, increased rainfall, higher temperatures. Some Chinese provinces due to heavy rains suffered floods, to people's health and lives and property caused serious impact. To popularize the knowledge and skills floods, recently, China Health Education Center organized experts to study the preparation of the "core floods health education information." Respectively, from preparedness before the onset of the flood, the flood comes and how to call for help of the safe transfer, disaster prevention and other aspects of the disease to the public health authority to provide scientific knowledge.
Wherein for disaster prevention of disease, and the core information provided nine recommendations:
(A) do not drink unboiled water, drink only boiled or bottled water meet the health standards, bottled water, or with bleaching powder and other treated water.
Of floods, flood control department and the government will take all measures to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies. In the case of a conditional, it is best to drink only bottled water and bottled water. Flood contains a lot of dirt, debris corruption animals and plants, bacteria or parasites, even with the naked eye looks very clean water, mountain water, well water, spring water or water, there may have been animal manure, organic or toxic chemicals pollution, direct drinking very dangerous. In life-threatening lack of water had to drink a case, you must follow the instructions indicated proportions with alum and bleaching powder (fine films) clarification, disinfection, boiled for at least 5 minutes before drinking.
(Ii) do not eat rotten food, eat drowned, dead livestock.
Flooding generally occurs in hot and humid summer season, easy to spoilage of food, food spoilage or contaminated food can lead to dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis, cholera and other intestinal infectious diseases and food poisoning. Produced after animal meat spoilage botulinum toxin and other serious life-threatening, should not eat. Livestock may have died from unknown infectious diseases, non-processed food, the best deep processing. Lentils and other legumes need to fry after eating fully cooked, non-edible sprouting potatoes, picking wild mushrooms from non-edible, so as not to cause food poisoning, life-threatening.
(C) attention to sanitation, not open defecation, not free to litter.
Environment is closely related to human health, even in the flood relief process, but also should pay attention to environmental health. After the flood, environment, waste more, should clean up as soon as possible, focus stacking, to avoid contamination of water bodies. Defecation will not only pollute the water, may also cause a lot of flies to breed, spread hepatitis, dysentery, cholera and other intestinal infectious diseases. Schistosomiasis infection in human and animal feces containing eggs of schistosomiasis, random emissions, it may cause the spread of schistosomiasis epidemic.
(Iv) avoid prolonged soaking hands and feet in the water, try to keep the skin clean and dry to prevent skin ulcers and skin diseases.
Human skin soaked in water for a long time, can cause serious consequences for skin ulcers, infections. When launching labor, should be every 1 to 2 hours of rest in the water again.
(E) do flies rodent anti-mosquito efforts, prevention of intestinal and vector-borne diseases.
Flies are the main source of infection of hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other infectious diseases, mice containing the epidemic hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis and plague bacilli, mosquitoes is encephalitis, malaria, dengue, filariasis, yellow fever the main source of infection and other infectious diseases. In floods, the access to people with mosquitoes and rats, etc. increase, work should be strengthened to kill. AVAILABLE Fly swatter, flies cover cover food applications. You can use sticky kill, killing rodent control methods, we found that mice abnormal increase in the case of the need for timely reporting to local authorities. Use insect repellents, mosquito nets, etc., out wear long-sleeved clothes.
(Vi) washing hands frequently, do not share personal hygiene items.
Human hands are most contact with the external environment of the organ, is also vulnerable to infectious diseases by touching food, Rouyan, pull the nose and other spread, the spread of infectious diseases, including hepatitis handled, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, foot and mouth disease and other intestinal infections disease, "pink eye" and other skin and mucosal diseases, influenza and other respiratory diseases. With soap, hand sanitizer, running water handwashing can prevent the spread of epidemic diseases. Sharing towels, handkerchiefs and other personal items can cause skin and mucous membrane possible epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, should be regularly disinfected, one person, one towel.
(Vii) such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and other symptoms should seek medical care as soon as possible to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases.
Fever, vomiting, diarrhea and rash may be early signs of serious infectious diseases during floods, once these symptoms should seek medical care as soon as possible.
(Viii) in endemic areas, try not to contact with contaminated water, the contact should be good personal protection.
Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease caused by the worms, humans and animals infected with cercariae-containing water through the skin and mucous membrane contact. In some areas of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan and other 7 provinces of the Yangtze River Basin, there are still the risk of schistosomiasis transmission, caution should be touching the field of water, water production and labor should Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, plastic pants and other protective equipment or protective ointment applied. As already contact with contaminated water but did not take protective measures, should take the initiative to schistosomiasis inspection department, found to be infected should be treated early. Schistosomiasis endemic areas should strengthen the management of livestock, to prohibit grazing marshland with snails. To strengthen the management of human and animal feces, without sound processing can not be discharged into water bodies.
(Ix) to maintain an optimistic attitude can help solve the problem.
In floods prone to anxiety, depression, hopelessness and other negative emotions, can cause severe mental illness. Any disaster will eventually in the past, to maintain an optimistic attitude, and actively help to cope and rebuild their homes.
