SÃO PAULO – The first two deaths from waterborne bacterial illnesses were reported in southern Brazil, where floodwaters were slowly receding, and health authorities warned that additional deaths were likely.
The health department of Rio Grande do Sul confirmed this Wednesday the death of a 33-year-old man from leptospirosis. On Monday, authorities recorded that a 67-year-old man died from the same infectious disease. Since the beginning of May, 29 cases of the water-borne disease have been confirmed in the state.
Flooding that lasted about two weeks killed at least 161 people, with 82 still missing, state officials said Wednesday. More than 600,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, including tens of thousands who remain in shelters, they said.
Health experts had previously predicted a rise in infectious diseases, including leptospirosis and hepatitis B, within weeks of the floods, as sewage mixed with floodwaters.
“There are those who die during the flood and there are the consequences of the flood,” said Paulo Saldiva, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo who researches the impacts of climate change on health. “The very lack of drinking water will cause people to start using water from reservoirs that are not of good quality.”
The unprecedented disaster hit more than 80% of the state’s municipalities and damaged critical infrastructure. More than 3,000 healthcare establishments – hospitals, pharmacies, health centers and private clinics – were affected, according to a report by Fiocruz, the federal government’s health research institute, released on Tuesday.
“The outbreak of leptospirosis cases was somewhat expected due to the number of people exposed to the water, as well as other illnesses,” said Carlos Machado, a public health and environmental specialist who Fiocruz appointed to monitor the impact of the flood. “We have never seen a disaster of this size in Brazil and with such a large exposed population.”
Machado said that although infrastructure, basic control services and health services have been disrupted, the local health department is working to offer prophylaxis against infectious diseases and guide people returning home on how to reduce risks. of exposure.
Disruption of healthcare services can also have a lasting impact on patients dealing with chronic illnesses, as treatment and care for chronically ill patients is disrupted, Machado said. People also often leave their homes during weather disasters without a prescription or identification.
“The health department is working hard to guarantee medicines for patients with chronic diseases,” he said.
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