When typhoon Sinlaku attacked Taiwan, heavy rain had caused serious floods in areas, including, Yilan, Taoyuan and Taipei. In order to counter the undesirable effects of floods, local health bureaus have begun promoting household disinfection and distributing disinfectants to residential households. To ensure adequate supply of disinfectants, Taiwan CDC has also provided additional disinfectants to the local health bureaus. Simultaneously, Taiwan CDC urged the public to pay attention to food safety and environmental hygiene to prevent infectious diseases by following the measures detailed below:
1.Observe proper water, food and environmental hygiene to prevent enteric diseases.
(1)Don’t eat food that may have come in contact with floodwater or have stayed unfrozen for too long due to power shortage.
(2)Heavy rain may cause an increase in water turbidity and affect water safety.If reservoirs have come in contact with floodwater, they should be cleaned and disinfected first, and then be refilled again.If disinfectant odor is present in your tap water, the water should be boiled for 3 minutes prior to consumption.When necessary, use bottled water to assure water safety.
(3)Don’t use contaminated tableware and utensils until they have been disinfected.
(4)Follow three steps: “clear, clean, and disinfect” to improve environment hygiene.
(4.1)After flood receded, wear gloves and rubber shoes to clear garbage.
(4.2)Use soap and water to wash the surface of wall, floor, and furniture.
(4.3)Follow the household bleach instruction to disinfect various areas of the house, especially food-contact surfaces such as tables, kitchen closets, and refrigerators, and children playgrounds.
To maximize the efficiency of disinfectant, follow the steps below (or the instructions on the container label) :
(1)Kitchen tableware and utensils: tableware should be boiled, if they can’t be boiled, soak them in 200ppm chloride solution for 30minutes. (Prepare 200ppm chloride solution by mixing 40cc of household bleach in 10 liters of water).
(2)Indoor : Use 500ppm chloride solution to wash floor, wall, toilet, kitchen, and bedroom after cleaning these areas (Prepare 200ppm chloride solution by mixing 100cc of household bleach in 10 liters of water).
(3)Yard, gully, and other wet areas: clear garbage and clean. Use 1000ppm chloride solution to spray these areas. Be sure to protect eyes and skin when spraying the chloride solution.
*Other disinfectants available on the market can be purchased at stores.Be sure to follow the instructions on the label of the disinfectant to disinfect.
2.Clean vector-breeding sites to prevent dengue fever.
(1)If there is water in basement, pump water out of the basement as soon as possible and keep it dry.
(2)Clean outdoor water containers to prevent vector breeding.
(3)Clean indoor water containers thoroughly and change water every week.
3.Use hand and feet protection equipments to prevent leptospirosis and melioidosis infection.
(1)When cleaning environment, you must wear waterproof gloves and rubber shoes to prevent coming into contact with contaminated water.After completing the cleanup, use soap and water to wash your hands and feet thoroughly.
(2)If there is a wound on hand or foot, disinfect and dress the wound immediately to avoid infection.
(3)Avoid walking barefoot in unknown and stagnant pool and basin.
(4)Before exposing to sewage or wet soil, wear long boots and gloves.
(5)After contacting animals, wash hands as soon as possible.
(6)Diabetic or other chronic disease patients should wear a mask when they go out to reduce the chance of inhaling dusts contaminated with melioidosis bacteria.
For case reporting and disease consultation, please contact local health bureaus or dial the toll-free consultation hotline, 1922, operated by Taiwan CDC.