Six Common Diseases during Rainy Seasons, Flooding Period

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Heavy rains across the country has in floods in a number of cities and districts. Alex Rasuneto, a specialist in internal diseases at Primaya Hospital Betang Pambelum in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, warned about potential diseases common during the period.

In a written statement, he reminded that during rainy seasons our immunity tends to drop, while inundated water is a medium for easy and fast transmission of leptospirosis or infections caused by animals.

Here are six types of diseases that commonly occur during the rainy and flood seasons:

1. Flu or influenza

Fever, cough, and others symptoms can lead to acute pneumonia, which could result in death.

2. Dengue fever

With early symptoms similar to influenza or flu-like syndrome, dengue fever can lead to shock or even death.

3. Malaria

The worst effects of malaria are anemia gravis or severe anemia, damage to brain cells (falciparum), and death due to multi-organ failure.

4. Diarrhea

Floods can cause food to become contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Poor treatment of diarrhea can cause severe dehydration, shock, even death.

5. Typhoid fever

The Salmonella typhi bacteria enter the human body via contaminated food and drink, infecting the intestinal tract and the blood. Typhoid fevers can lead to serious and potentially life threatening symptoms if not treated properly.

6. Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a bacterium called Leptospira from the urine of infected animals which may be present in contaminated flood water. Common carriers of the bacterium are rats and rodents, dogs, horses, cattle, and others.

Also Read: 5 Diseases Cause Most Deaths in Indonesia

Francisca Christy Rosana