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Avoid-raw-food: Warning from chief epidemiologist as water- borne diseases spread
View(s):By Nadia Fazlulhaq
Be cautious when buying or eating salads, green leaves for mellum, or street-side fruit pickles (achcharu), as water- and food-borne diseases are common during these rainy days, the country’s Chief Epidemiologist has warned.
Dr. Samitha Ginige warned that people should beware of diarrhoea-related diseases when eating raw food, especially from outside.
Hospital staff attending to a young patient
“Besides, flood waters can contaminate underground water sources. Therefore, all types of food are safe only if they are cooked thoroughly. Though these illnesses are rarely life-threatening, they can be extremely inconvenient and make a person physically weak,” he said.
He said that with the rain the number of flies have increased. “If not properly covered, even prepared food can make you sick.”
About 60 students were rushed to the Mawanella hospital this week after they complained of diarrhoea and dizziness. They were returning to Ratnapura from a sports event in Kandy when they fell ill.
According to the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit, state hospitals have recorded 833 cases of dysentery (bloody diarrhoea) and 445 cases of food poisoning for the first eight months of the year. However, patients treated at private clinics or hospitals are not included in these statistics.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 600 million people fall ill from food poisoning.
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