A flood is a rise in the water level in a river, which occurs as a result of the rapid melting of snow during a thaw and heavy rains. The level of the flood does not depend on the amount of snow that fell during the winter, but on the depth of soil freezing and the speed of the thawing process, rising temperatures, rain and the location of the groundwater level. During the flood period, not only the flooding of residential and commercial buildings occurs, but also the risk of infectious diseases such as acute intestinal infections (AI) of bacterial (dysentery, salmonellosis, etc.) and viral etiology, acute hepatitis A, etc., increases.
A flood can cause massive contamination of water in wells and boreholes with sewage from landfills, utility yards, toilets, and wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, the likelihood of the spread of ACI pathogens by water increases, since melt water entering the water of decentralized drinking water sources can make it unsuitable for consumption.
The causative agents of intestinal infections enter the human body with food, water, and in small children through dirty hands and toys. With the massive accumulation of pathogens in the environment, the frequency of their entry into the human body increases, and the likelihood of disease occurrence increases accordingly. You can become infected with OKI through water by consuming raw tap water for drinking and at home (washing fruits and vegetables, rinsing and soaking baby dishes, pacifiers and toys).
Rodents and small animals, which are carriers of many diseases, fleeing the flood, rush into residential buildings and buildings, which significantly increases the risk of human infection with infectious and parasitic diseases.
To protect yourself from ACI during the flood period, you must follow simple but effective rules, namely:
• use only boiled or bottled water for drinking;
• strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene (wash your hands thoroughly with soap after visiting the toilet, contacting animals, before preparing and eating food);
• foods that have been flooded should be eaten only after sufficient heat treatment;
• when eating vegetables and fruits raw, you must wash them thoroughly with water and pour boiling water over them;
• do not use melt water for drinking, cooking, washing dishes, children's toys, bathing and showering;
• clean the territory and dwellings, including collecting dead rodents, wearing gloves;
• existing wells must be drained by pumping out contaminated water from them;
• do not allow the cesspool of outdoor toilets to be filled with sewage higher than 35 cm from the surface of the ground during the flood period;
• if symptoms of an acute infectious disease occur (fever, vomiting, loose stools, etc.), immediately seek medical help. By taking preventive measures,
You can avoid acute intestinal infections and maintain health.
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