Date: Thu 16 Feb 2012 Source: Mizzima [in Myanmar, trans. Mod.YMA, edited] http://www.mizzimaburmese.com/news/inside-burma/9011-2012-02-16-12-15-29.html
Diarrheal infection is spreading in more than 40 villages of Pel Khong,
Pin Laung and See Saing townships in southern Shan State and reported to
be many associated deaths.
The outbreak started in these 3 townships during January 2012. Most of
the patients are children under 5 years old, and adults over 50 years
old are also affected. According to hospital records from the township
hospital, 3 children and 2 adults died in February 2012.
Regarding to this outbreak, a doctor from Pel Khong township hospital
mentioned that sick children have been vomiting and have had diarrhea
with profuse yellow fluid. He thinks that the outbreak is caused by
contaminated drinking water and the spread of outbreak is rather quick.
Some of the patients died in the villages without seeking treatment in
hospitals. During February 2012, one child died in Lung Kar village, Pel
Khong township; and one child and one 70-year-old lady died in See Saing
township, according to a mobile health service which is providing help
in these 3 townships.
On 3 Feb 2012, a 7-year-old girl died of diarrhea in Tee Yee village,
Pel Khong township, followed by many children falling sick in the
village. The local villagers think that it was caused by bathing stream
water from Te Jit Coal Factory nearby.
"When we bathe the stream water, many people have pruritus. Now, there
are more and more diarrhea cases. So, villagers said that it is due to
the contaminated waste water from the Te Jit Coal Factory. Many castles
in that village also have diarrhea," says a staff person from the mobile
health service.
Te Jit Coal Factory is situated at 7 miles from Tee Yee village. It was
started since 2005. The ashes, coal water, filthy waste and fumes from
this factory caused pruritus in more than 20 000 villages in early 2011.
The health care workers from the district hospital are providing
treatment for diarrhea cases in these areas. However, the people from
remote areas without access to health care services need to treat
themselves with traditional medicine.
[Byline: Kyaw Kha]
--
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The article above reports diarrhea outbreaks which affected more than
40 villages of Pel Khong, Pin Laung and See Saing townships in southern
Shan State. The exact number of affected cases was not provided. The
contaminated water is suspected to be the cause of these outbreaks. As
these outbreaks spread in a large geographical area in an extended time
span, it makes this moderator think that these outbreaks might have some
other causes. Water samples and biological specimen examination might
help to pinpoint the causes.
PRO/MBDS highly appreciate any information from knowledgeable source on
the causes of the diarrhea outbreaks in southern Shan State, Myanmar.
For a map of Myanmar with administrative divisions, see
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/myanmar.pdf. A
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Myanmar can be seen at
http://healthmap.org/r/1oak. - Mod.QCN]
ProMED-mail
Português
Español
Русский
Mekong Basin
Afrique Francophone
Anglophone Africa
