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Jan 10, 2016 News
…contaminated reservoirs found to be the source
A recent outbreak of gastroenteritis in Baramita, Region One has climbed to 65 and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, has cited the cause of the outbreak to be contaminated water in reservoirs.
The outbreak, so far, has left one infant dead while 64 other persons are receiving treatment at the community health centre. The pandemic falls on the heels of another outbreak in the North West District area in 2013, where some 529 villagers were infected, the majority being children. Three persons had died. However, there is some controversy surrounding the number of children that actually died.
In an interview with the Kaieteur News yesterday, Dr. Persaud disclosed that the contamination was caused by the presence of a coliform germ in the water. He said that stool samples from the infected persons were taken and sent to the Caribbean Public Health Organization (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago for testing.
Gastroenteritis is a digestive system condition where the stomach and the intestines become inflamed. It is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection found in water, food and animals. The major symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting, along with minor abdominal cramps, dehydration and headaches.
There is no specific treatment for the infection but it is important for the infected person to be hydrated; usually an oral rehydration solution is administered.
Dr. Persaud said that information coming out of the Region from health workers have revealed that 36 men and 59 women were infected. Five of the victims were children under the age of five. The village has not reported any new cases within the last two days, he said, adding that a “house to house” education awareness programme was helping to reduce and control the situation.
“It is having tremendous impact there and that is what we need. We need to reduce the numbers,” he said, noting that medical supplies were dispatched to the village and included rehydration salt and bleach to purify the water.
When probed about the possible reason for indigenous communities being affected by the condition, Dr. Persaud explained that poor sanitation and lack of purified water are two of major reasons.
He said further that many of these villagers use creek water or water from reservoirs for drinking and so are easily exposed to contamination. He said many of these areas do not have proper toilet facilities, causing stool to be washed into the soil and water supplies.
“The conditions they are living under makes them vulnerable to such conditions therefore it is important that we sensitize them on sanitising their surroundings,” he said, but added that this might pose a bit of a problem since there is a cultural barrier.
“We must be cognizant of this,” he said.
Baramita, which has a population of about 3,000, and 20 satellite villages, has one Health Centre, which is manned by a Community Health Worker, a Medic and a Doctor.
Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton had previously stated that the situation in the village was under control, however there are some challenges getting into satellite villages as they are accessible only by All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).
He had also stated that the community was uncooperative and had refused to use the bleach in the water. He said further that they were not adhering to the number of days they were supposed to use the medication.
“So we’re running into some difficulties there. But the situation has improved from what it was at the beginning,” he stated.
Occurrences of gastroenteritis are seasonal, with the highest rate occurring between December and March.
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