Postflood morbidity pattern in flood-affected population of Alappuzha district in Kerala

• Main Authors: Shaba C. Thomas, Sneha P. Kotian, Varsha Male, Sivakami A., Nevin S. Thomas, Prasad Waingankar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2019-01-01
• Series: MGM Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: disaster; epidemiology; flood
• Online Access: http://www.mgmjms.com/article.asp?issn=2347-7946;year=2019;volume=6;issue=3;spage=123;epage=126;aulast=Thomas

Background: Kerala had witnessed what is seen as the century’s worst flood in the state in 2018. The torrential rain since June 1 in sporadic places and continuous rain since August first week had created havoc in the state. The spread of infectious disease is likely to occur where such disasters occur. Timely interventions can curtail a second disaster arising out of such circumstances. Materials and Methods: Records of health camps conducted were analyzed to get an idea about the morbidity patterns immediately after floods. Results: Acute respiratory infection accounted for a majority of the cases, both among adults (40.2%) and children (55.6%) followed by generalized weakness and musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion: Most of the illnesses seen were of infectious origin. Health education can play an important role to prevent spread.