Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 12, 2016 News
…doctor says everything under control
The number of cases in the recent gastroenteritis outbreak at Baramita, Region One, which infected over 60 persons, is rapidly decreasing, Public Health Minister George Norton said.
Norton stated that the doctor, who is responsible for controlling the pandemic in the small Amerindian village, informed the ministry that the situation is under control and that there are sufficient medical supplies to treat patients there.
“The only problem we are having is, patients are not complying with the doctor and the medex’s instructions. They are refusing to take their medications and drink the purified water,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, has cited the cause of the outbreak to be contaminated water in reservoirs. He had stated that the contamination was caused by the presence of a coliform germ in the water, while adding 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.
The outbreak so far has left one infant dead. 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 amount of children that actually died.
He had indicated that a “house to house” education awareness programme was helping to 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 questioned about the possible reason for indigenous communities being affected by the condition, Persaud explained that poor sanitation and lack of purified water are two major reasons.
He said that many of these villagers use creek water or water from reservoirs for drinking, and so are easily exposed to contamination. He said that many of these areas do not have proper toilet facilities, causing stool to be washed into the soil and water supplies.
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