Health authorities have stepped up measures to prevent an outbreak of infectious diseases after more than one million chickens died last weekend in closed poultry farms in Ayutthaya's flood-hit Bang Pa-in district.
They have been working closely with livestock officials to quickly dispose of chicken carcases by using effective micro-organisms, Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said yesterday.
Livestock Development Department director-general Trissadee Chaosuancharoen and his team inspected farms yesterday.
Mr Witthaya said chicken carcases had to be moved out of farms as quickly as possible and disposed of properly or they could cause a bad smell and pollute water, leading to an outbreak of infectious diseases.
"Though disease outbreaks caused by flooding have not yet been confirmed, people cannot afford to be complacent about prevention," he said.
Mr Witthaya said hygiene standards relating to hand washing, cooked food consumption and waste disposal should not be overlooked in a bid to reduce the risk of disease.
Influenza, pneumonia, hand, foot and mouth disease, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, leptospirosis and dengue fever are the major endemics being closely monitored by the Disease Control Department, particularly at large flood relief centres.
About 3,000 evacuees are taking shelter at Thammasat University's Rangsit campus, while nearby Dhammakaya Temple and Thanyaburi District Office can accommodate up to 5,000 and 20,000 flood victims respectively.
A government office complex on Chaeng Watthana Road can also provide shelter for up to 1,000 people.
Athlete's foot, muscle pain, influenza, skin infections and headaches have been rated the most prevalent illnesses among flood victims, according to the Public Health Ministry.
Nearly two million medication kits have been distributed to these patients via mobile units in 32 flood-hit provinces.
Damage and losses caused by flooding have also led to mental health problems among thousands of people. The scale of the problem is as high as when the tsunami hit Thailand in 2004.
As of yesterday, 92,310 people in 32 provinces had been screened for mental health problems. As many as 727 were at risk of committing suicide, while 1,091 needed continuous mental therapy. Another 3,706 were suffering from high stress and 5,313 had depression.
Permanent secretary for public health Paijit Warachit said he was summarising the cost of damage to 463 hospitals and community clinics in the flood-affected provinces.
More than 600,000 people have been reported to have been affected by illnesses caused by months of flooding, according to the ministry.
Source: Bangkok Post
