Chennai at high risk of epidemic outbreak
Chennai is now the hotbed for a number of diseases, in the aftermath of the floods. Doctors in relief camps and on the field have been seeing a rise in a number of skin related diseases - a result of stagnant sewage water in several parts of the city
Chennai
LEPTOSPIROSIS
Symptoms: A high temperature (fever), sudden headaches, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle pain, particularly affecting the muscles in the calves and lower back.
High risk areas: Royapuram, Sholavaram, Thondiarpet
WEB SPACE INFECTION
Symptoms: Red or reddish-brown rash, raw, itchy, or oozing skin, foul odour, cracked skin.
High risk areas: Mudichur, Tambaram, Vandalur, Virugambakkam, Vadapalani, Ramavaram
CHOLERA
Symptoms: Rapid heart rate, loss of skin elasticity, dry mucous membranes, low blood pressure, thirst, muscle cramps.
High risk areas: Adyar, Saidapet
DIARRHOEA
Symptoms: Having frequent, loose,
watery stools
High risk areas: Chemmenchery, Thoraipakkam, Jafferkanpet, Saidapet, Shenoy Nagar, Maduravoyal, Villivakkam Sidco Nagar, Kattankulathur, Thirukazhukundram, Mannivakkam, KK Nagar area.
MALARIA
Symptoms: Shaking chills that indicate moderate to severe, high fever, profuse sweating, headache,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, anaemia.
High risk areas: Porur, Valasarvakkam
"It is common among those who are exposed to sewage water."
 -  Dr S Elango, former director, Public Health, TN
"One must watch out for water-borne and mosquito-borne diseases that are common during these times."
 - Dr S Ragunanthanan, MMC
"This is a bacterial-borne infection that is extremely common during rains."
 - Dr Raju Sivasamy, SIMS, Vadapalani
"Stagnant water will definitely lead to an increase in mosquito breeding, causing an outbreak of malaria in these low lying areas."
 - Dr JS Rajkumar, Lifeline group of hospitals
"Rat urine, which is common in sewage, causes leptospirosis which affects the liver and the kidney and may lead to death"
 - Dr JS Rajkumar,Lifeline group of hospitals
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