Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul flooding health issues
In a follow-up on the incredible floods in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and the corresponding health issues, the Ministry of Health reports the main demand received by health professionals who are caring for victims of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul are respiratory diseases.
The Secretary of Specialized Care of the Ministry of Health, Adriano Massuda, said this Friday that there was an increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases and skin infections, mainly due to the large number of people in shelters.
According to the secretary, the department monitors cases of leptospirosis caused by contact with flood water. “There is no extraordinary increase that generates concern beyond what needs to be. We are monitoring it,” he said.
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Vaccines
The Ministry of Health has defined a series of guidelines on vaccination schedules in shelters in Rio Grande do Sul. Officials recommend prioritizing doses against influenza, COVID-19, tetanus, hepatitis A and rabies.
In a note, the ministry highlighted that the actions must be carried out on a priority and temporary basis due to the emergency situation resulting from flooding in the state.
Dengue
The ministry is also paying attention to the dengue fever scenario in the state, but, due to the low temperatures, the disease is not as worrying. “We have notification, but also in a controlled manner. We have the benefit of the climate, which is a factor against the development of mosquitoes,” he said. “Our focus, at this moment, is respiratory diseases”, Massuda reinforced.
