Question

During the floods, precaution should be specially taken against

• A. Cholera
• B. Malaria
• C. Typhoid
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is D All of the above

Floods can potentially increase the transmission of the following communicable diseases: water-borne diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever. The major risk factor for outbreaks associated with flooding is the contamination of drinking-water facilities. Gastrointestinal infections (such as rotavirus diarrhoea, salmonellosis, E. coli, typhoid fevers, hepatitis A and cholera). Floods may indirectly lead to an increase in vector-borne diseases through the expansion in the number and range of vector habitats. Standing water caused by heavy rainfall or overflow of rivers can act as breeding sites for mosquitoes, and therefore enhance the potential for exposure of the disaster-affected population and emergency workers to infections such as dengue, malaria.