Health Warnings Stepped Up: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

Health warnings stepped up

The Nation

Main concerns are uncollected garbage and leptospirosis

Health hazards are becoming a major concern as contamination of floodwater caused mainly by uncollected garbage is widespread - while warnings against waterborne zoonoses [diseases transferred from animals to humans] and food poisoning have been issued.

The Public Health Ministry's Department of Medical Sciences yesterday warned of possible leptospirosis in flooded areas and against consuming ice and iced drinks from unknown production sources. In a recent survey, 21 food samples, collected in four flooded provinces including Bangkok, yielded food poisoning manifestations, while 17 out of 57 samples of drinking water possessed germs which caused diarrhoea.

The minister reported one leptospirosis case in Khon Kaen and 20 suspected cases. The bacterial disease, which is found usually in flooded areas up to three weeks after a flood recedes, is potentially fatal if not properly treated.

In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed, as only 30 per cent of daily garbage can now be collected while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water.

As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resulted in increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish in badly flooded areas.

The Senate yesterday discussed contamination and hygiene issues and called on the government to immediately begin water treatment and other public health concerns including possible post-flooding outbreaks.

The senators, mostly those who sought to open yesterday's session, said the city administration and the government Flood Relief Operations Centre had overlooked health issues while concentrating too much on flood prevention and drainage. Senator Surachai Liangbunlertchai proposed that FROC set up a special panel to oversee measures relevant to disease prevention and treatment of spoiled water.

Senator Nillawan Phetchara-booranin, of the Senate commission on science and technology, said she admired volunteers' dedication in making disinfectant EM [effective micro-organism] balls but expressed scepticism over their effectiveness. A number of university lecturers have questioned use of the medicinal balls, even though charity groups who made and used them claim their effectiveness as a water disinfectant.

Dr Anant Ariyachaiphanich, head of the Senate commission on public health, called on diabetics to avoid wading in floodwater or against wounding themselves, and raised awareness of leptospirosis and mosquito-borne dengue fever.

A retired Army commander, Phichet Wisaijorn, who has had experience disinfecting waste water with EM balls, said he had been assigned by General Prayuth Chan-ocha to promote the use of the balls and to boost their production among Army units.

He said the EM balls would be most effective when used together with a liquid disinfectant, with the balls working underwater while the liquid is sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface.

He said the space ratio of EM balls used under his supervision is one ball per square metre, compared to 1 to 4 claimed by charity groups.

Examples of success with EM balls' use are in tackling contamination of Pattani Bay a few years ago, and in spoiled water in vast areas of rice paddies in Nakhon Ratchasima during a major flood last year. Phichet said Prayuth had already ordered Army units to make EM balls, even before this year's flood, and now wanted a large number produced by Army units for immediate use.

-- The Nation 2011-11-08

[DocN]

"In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed..."

I don't know, but is "foodstuff and material" the correct scientiffic term?

What diseases will you get from it? Poop- stuff? Or a stomache- thingy?

And by the way...there was no threat at all last week, right?!

So now the "Ministry of that stuff with medicine" changed their mind?

Please THE NATION- do that report- thing on that ...stuff...

[Gippy]

Still got the square meter thing, is that total incompetence or bad translation?

[pattayaorganic]

EM=effective microorganisms, i.e. living stuff. "He said the EM balls would be most effective when used together with a liquid disinfectant, with the balls working underwater while the liquid is sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface."Disinfectant=chemicals that kill living stuff. SO the good general (obviously skipped primary school biology) says the "best" way to get an effect is to put living bacteria that need to survive to do their job, together with chemicals that kill bacteria. Hmmmm.

[Thai at Heart]

EM=effective microorganisms, i.e. living stuff. "He said the EM balls would be most effective when used together with a liquid disinfectant, with the balls working underwater while the liquid is sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface."Disinfectant=chemicals that kill living stuff. SO the good general (obviously skipped primary school biology) says the "best" way to get an effect is to put living bacteria that need to survive to do their job, together with chemicals that kill bacteria. Hmmmm.

This EM stuff doesn't get close to providing enough beneficial bacteria to combat the bad ones. The water is absolutely chock full of nutrients from decaying matter and the added refuse. Before long they are going to start having algal blooms. Of course the EM proponents say that it stops algal bloom. Yes it does partially because it is clay and makes the water cloudy.

I do have to say it is ludicrous that this amount of rubbish is being allowed to accumulate. There are trucks going out for food donations, and none of them are picking up the rubbish. Beyond this, how hard is it to pass out heavyweight black plastic bags along with the donations. Instead of having millions of little 7-11 bags everywhere to pick up, they can start picking it up in bulk. They need to get this co-ordinated and organised quickly or there is going to be a massive outbreak of some disease or another. How about distributing gloves, masks and paying people with working boats to start picking up the rubbish. They can tie it behind the boats in and drag it to dry land where of course the disposal companies would have to pick it up.

And please don't tell me there isn't an automated way with some kind of pontoons on shallow draft boats to start scooping up all this refuse and decaying mess. There is NO PLAN of action and the outcomes could be catastrophic.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Thai at Heart

[phiphidon]

EM=effective microorganisms, i.e. living stuff. "He said the EM balls would be most effective when used together with a liquid disinfectant, with the balls working underwater while the liquid is sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface."Disinfectant=chemicals that kill living stuff. SO the good general (obviously skipped primary school biology) says the "best" way to get an effect is to put living bacteria that need to survive to do their job, together with chemicals that kill bacteria. Hmmmm.

This EM stuff doesn't get close to providing enough beneficial bacteria to combat the bad ones. The water is absolutely chock full of nutrients from decaying matter and the added refuse. Before long they are going to start having algal blooms. Of course the EM proponents say that it stops algal bloom. Yes it does partially because it is clay and makes the water cloudy.

I do have to say it is ludicrous that this amount of rubbish is being allowed to accumulate. There are trucks going out for food donations, and none of them are picking up the rubbish. Beyond this, how hard is it to pass out heavyweight black plastic bags along with the donations. Instead of having millions of little 7-11 bags everywhere to pick up, they can start picking it up in bulk. They need to get this co-ordinated and organised quickly or there is going to be a massive outbreak of some disease or another. How about distributing gloves, masks and paying people with working boats to start picking up the rubbish. They can tie it behind the boats in and drag it to dry land where of course the disposal companies would have to pick it up.

And please don't tell me there isn't an automated way with some kind of pontoons on shallow draft boats to start scooping up all this refuse and decaying mess. There is NO PLAN of action and the outcomes could be catastrophic.

This EM stuff doesn't get close to providing enough beneficial bacteria to combat the bad ones. The water is absolutely chock full of nutrients from decaying matter and the added refuse. Before long they are going to start having algal blooms. Of course the EM proponents say that it stops algal bloom. Yes it does partially because it is clay and makes the water cloudy.

But presumably you're helping out with "stuff" that does work

"There are other far far more effective products and techniques being used to clean up the mess, it is just they don't get any press. I know, because I am supplying one of them.

http://www.thaivisa....d-flood-waters/"

I do have to say it is ludicrous that this amount of rubbish is being allowed to accumulate. There are trucks going out for food donations, and none of them are picking up the rubbish. Beyond this, how hard is it to pass out heavyweight black plastic bags along with the donations. Instead of having millions of little 7-11 bags everywhere to pick up, they can start picking it up in bulk. They need to get this co-ordinated and organised quickly or there is going to be a massive outbreak of some disease or another. How about distributing gloves, masks and paying people with working boats to start picking up the rubbish. They can tie it behind the boats in and drag it to dry land where of course the disposal companies would have to pick it up.

From the OP we can read that

"As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resultedin increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish inbadly flooded areas.........

while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water."

So rather than than fostering the impression that nothing is being done can we accept that some things are being done to alleviate the above situation?

[Thai at Heart]

From the OP we can read that

"As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resultedin increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish inbadly flooded areas.........

while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water."

So rather than than fostering the impression that nothing is being done can we accept that some things are being done to alleviate the above situation?

Have you seen how much trash there is out there? And as I said, every night we are regaled with wonderful TV of all of the soap stars going out teetering on the back of trucks handing out food parcels, whilst the people are standing around in trash, be it knee deep or waist deep water. Not one thought was given to tying a plastic boat to the back of the truck and filling it with trash, or even better still, tell the smiling superstars to get off the truck, walk in the water and fill the truck with trash.

The word has to go out to people to actively pick it up and bring it to a place for collection, not stand around and watch it bob around next to them, or better still, ask for volunteers, equip them with the necessary gear and get them to start actively pick it up. There was a tv show yesterday showing a group of company provided apartments in an estate full of people, and there was trash literally bobbing around everywhere. Beyond this, why do they need refuse lorries to achieve this, there are dozens of trucks running around in the water all day every day, and considering that they can take a 15 year old honda civic and turn it into a car capable of 200kmh with a few add ons in a day, how long does it take to put a bloody snorkel on a truck?

Hopefully, these stories going out now will help to encourage people to do this, but there needs to be a much better system put in place to handle this, or as I said, there is going to be a very nasty outbreak of something pretty nasty soon enough. This water is going to sit there in most places for a month or more.

[Fishface]

Why not just pay --say 5 baht per kilo of trash. No rich will be involved and the poor have something to do and can earn money saving government money. AND when its all over keep the system. I know plastic bags are not recyclable but so what pay the poor to collect them. This can start now today.

If they dont do something quick the stink will have tourist vomiting on there way back to the airport.

[BuffaloRescue]

From the OP we can read that

"As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resultedin increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish inbadly flooded areas.........

while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water."

So rather than than fostering the impression that nothing is being done can we accept that some things are being done to alleviate the above situation?

Have you seen how much trash there is out there? And as I said, every night we are regaled with wonderful TV of all of the soap stars going out teetering on the back of trucks handing out food parcels, whilst the people are standing around in trash, be it knee deep or waist deep water. Not one thought was given to tying a plastic boat to the back of the truck and filling it with trash, or even better still, tell the smiling superstars to get off the truck, walk in the water and fill the truck with trash.

The word has to go out to people to actively pick it up and bring it to a place for collection, not stand around and watch it bob around next to them, or better still, ask for volunteers, equip them with the necessary gear and get them to start actively pick it up. There was a tv show yesterday showing a group of company provided apartments in an estate full of people, and there was trash literally bobbing around everywhere. Beyond this, why do they need refuse lorries to achieve this, there are dozens of trucks running around in the water all day every day, and considering that they can take a 15 year old honda civic and turn it into a car capable of 200kmh with a few add ons in a day, how long does it take to put a bloody snorkel on a truck?

Hopefully, these stories going out now will help to encourage people to do this, but there needs to be a much better system put in place to handle this, or as I said, there is going to be a very nasty outbreak of something pretty nasty soon enough. This water is going to sit there in most places for a month or more.

Why dont you lead by example?

[Thai at Heart]

From the OP we can read that

"As Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra admitted, an understaffing problem has resultedin increasing garbage accumulation. District offices are hiring contractors to collect up to 70 per cent of garbage during flooding, while boats are being used to collect rubbish inbadly flooded areas.........

while more than 100 garbage trucks are undergoing modification to enable them to travel through high water."

So rather than than fostering the impression that nothing is being done can we accept that some things are being done to alleviate the above situation?

Have you seen how much trash there is out there? And as I said, every night we are regaled with wonderful TV of all of the soap stars going out teetering on the back of trucks handing out food parcels, whilst the people are standing around in trash, be it knee deep or waist deep water. Not one thought was given to tying a plastic boat to the back of the truck and filling it with trash, or even better still, tell the smiling superstars to get off the truck, walk in the water and fill the truck with trash.

The word has to go out to people to actively pick it up and bring it to a place for collection, not stand around and watch it bob around next to them, or better still, ask for volunteers, equip them with the necessary gear and get them to start actively pick it up. There was a tv show yesterday showing a group of company provided apartments in an estate full of people, and there was trash literally bobbing around everywhere. Beyond this, why do they need refuse lorries to achieve this, there are dozens of trucks running around in the water all day every day, and considering that they can take a 15 year old honda civic and turn it into a car capable of 200kmh with a few add ons in a day, how long does it take to put a bloody snorkel on a truck?

Hopefully, these stories going out now will help to encourage people to do this, but there needs to be a much better system put in place to handle this, or as I said, there is going to be a very nasty outbreak of something pretty nasty soon enough. This water is going to sit there in most places for a month or more.

Why dont you lead by example?

Have been trying to for years....

[robblok]

Every day the mayor in our muh bahn is saying dont put the garbage in the water. But every day after dark trash appears in the water. There are really a lot of selfish people. Most keep the trash and accept it cannot be collected now. But some are just too selfish or stupid to care. The water here after 2 weeks is still of reasonable quality. I think its worse in the center of bkk

[noitom]

The government, army, and private sector is badly underestimating the scale of the disease and contamination issue. I started writing posts and letters to the Thai press two weeks ago in shoc the lack of messaging on this. Leptospirosis is not new to Thailand, but one could conclude from the way that they are handling it, that they never knew about it before. It's a real human tragedy unfolding for the Thai people without leadership in health and welfare expertise.

On the garbage, one might just quickly browse around and there are ample clips of swarms of rats in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand seeking garbage and safety after rains and floods throughout the years. The army has many troops and vehicles that have not been deployed to remove garbage and trash, and the press has done little to educate the people and serve as the messaging conduit on best practices in floods. Terrible situation and lack of management or guidance. The disease, contamination, and sickness and death is a forthcoming monumental humanitarian crisis. The scale of it is very large. If anyone believes the published figures on electrocutions, and deaths already to drowning and disease, and certainly cases, they are badly mistaken. I believe the Thai press reported one case of Cholera that was being "handled" by Thai medical staff and "not a serious problem" and one or two cases of Leptospirosis and the Thai medical people were ":taking measures" to avoid its spread. This coming health and medical catastrophe could have been addressed much sooner and with better resources. If only Thais had listened.

[elcent]

other problems adding on

[techboy]

"In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed..."

I don't know, but is "foodstuff and material" the correct scientiffic term?

What diseases will you get from it? Poop- stuff? Or a stomache- thingy?

And by the way...there was no threat at all last week, right?!

So now the "Ministry of that stuff with medicine" changed their mind?

Please THE NATION- do that report- thing on that ...stuff...

You really stepped in it pal. "Foodstuff" is not a coined word nor is it a scientific term. It is simply a synonym for food product. And by the way (fyi)...disease threat has been a noted concern for quite some time-not new this week! I just loved watching you throughout your imagined 'oh so clever' bashing of the post. Talk about poop-stuff!

[anterian]

I don't know how you can get Thais to understand this problem, in my village all the trash and garbage just get tossed into the water where it drifts to the end of the road and vanishes into a klong. Out of sight out of mind. I asked a few people where they thought the rubbish would go, they just looked at me as if I was asking silly questions.

i have toughed out the floods but am seriously wondering if after the floods I should go before the epidemics start.

[DocN]

"In Bangkok, residents are encouraged to sort and separate rubbish, with decaying foodstuff and materials tightly sealed..."

I don't know, but is "foodstuff and material" the correct scientiffic term?

What diseases will you get from it? Poop- stuff? Or a stomache- thingy?

And by the way...there was no threat at all last week, right?!

So now the "Ministry of that stuff with medicine" changed their mind?

Please THE NATION- do that report- thing on that ...stuff...

You really stepped in it pal. "Foodstuff" is not a coined word nor is it a scientific term. It is simply a synonym for food product. And by the way (fyi)...disease threat has been a noted concern for quite some time-not new this week! I just loved watching you throughout your imagined 'oh so clever' bashing of the post. Talk about poop-stuff!

Well"pal"...may I direct your attention to THIS: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/509752-thai-govt-dismisses-health-fears-flood/

which was originally posted just 5 days ago...but you are right...of course that is "some time"!

And "decaying foodstuff and material" sounds absolutely stupid and I personally think, it is a very weak style in reporting.

But glad, I could amuse you!

[techboy]

EM=effective microorganisms, i.e. living stuff. "He said the EM balls would be most effective when used together with a liquid disinfectant, with the balls working underwater while the liquid is sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface."Disinfectant=chemicals that kill living stuff. SO the good general (obviously skipped primary school biology) says the "best" way to get an effect is to put living bacteria that need to survive to do their job, together with chemicals that kill bacteria. Hmmmm.

The key is that the disinfectant is only "sprayed on the floodwater and works on the surface." SO only a skin of bacteriocidal chemicals is being introduced to the large volume of floodwater. Whatever goes into solution will then be greatly diluted. Also I would be willing to bet that the chemical is in a petroleum-based media which will allow it to float on the surface. The score is: The Good General- 1 Pattayaorganic- 0. Go General go!

[puipuitom]

I don't know how you can get Thais to understand this problem, in my village all the trash and garbage just get tossed into the water where it drifts to the end of the road and vanishes into a klong. Out of sight out of mind. I asked a few people where they thought the rubbish would go, they just looked at me as if I was asking silly questions.

i have toughed out the floods but am seriously wondering if after the floods I should go before the epidemics start.

A Thai ( and other South-East Asian + Chinese) who give a dam_n about the environment, polution, etc still has to be born. Everything what is further away then arms length from their front door, does not harm them, so why bother.

When this results in tourists to stay away, customers for the Thai food industry, who now are rushing to find alternatives, not only for now but for a lojg way as nobody trust the bacteriological rubbish spread out over soil and factory, their only response will be to go in temple and pray.

All filth will float and polute the Bay of Thailand for generations, resulting in poisened seafood and fish. But, what a Thai's eyses cannot see, does not exsist. And when the casualties caused by cancer increases.. yes, we go in temple.

Edited November 8, 2011 by puipuitom

[anterian]

I don't know how you can get Thais to understand this problem, in my village all the trash and garbage just get tossed into the water where it drifts to the end of the road and vanishes into a klong. Out of sight out of mind. I asked a few people where they thought the rubbish would go, they just looked at me as if I was asking silly questions.

i have toughed out the floods but am seriously wondering if after the floods I should go before the epidemics start.

A Thai ( and other South-East Asian + Chinese) who give a dam_n about the environment, polution, etc still has to be born. Everything what is further away then arms length from their front door, does not harm them, so why bother.

When this results in tourists to stay away, customers for the Thai food industry, who now are rushing to find alternatives, not only for now but for a lojg way as nobody trust the bacteriological rubbish spread out over soil and factory, their only response will be to go in temple and pray.

All filth will float and polute the Bay of Thailand for generations, resulting in poisened seafood and fish. But, what a Thai's eyses cannot see, does not exsist. And when the casualties caused by cancer increases.. yes, we go in temple.

eventually it will end up here in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/5208645/Drowning-in-plastic-The-Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch-is-twice-the-size-of-France.html

[fred110]

Why not just pay --say 5 baht per kilo of trash. No rich will be involved and the poor have something to do and can earn money saving government money. AND when its all over keep the system. I know plastic bags are not recyclable but so what pay the poor to collect them. This can start now today.

If they dont do something quick the stink will have tourist vomiting on there way back to the airport.

They'll be turning in bags of bricks!

[witsawakorn]

I don't know how you can get Thais to understand this problem, in my village all the trash and garbage just get tossed into the water where it drifts to the end of the road and vanishes into a klong. Out of sight out of mind. I asked a few people where they thought the rubbish would go, they just looked at me as if I was asking silly questions.

i have toughed out the floods but am seriously wondering if after the floods I should go before the epidemics start.

Maybe nobody in your village listens to you anymore.If somebody asks you where it goes what are you going to tell them?

[Suradit]

And "decaying foodstuff and material" sounds absolutely stupid and I personally think, it is a very weak style in reporting.

But glad, I could amuse you!

It’s a perfectly acceptable word. Apparently its origin dates back to 1870, so it’s an established term in the English language. Concerning yourself with "style in reporting" at any time, but especially during the current crisis, does seem a bit childish ... even more so when your criticism is unjustified.

food·stuff

noun a substance used or capable of being used as nutriment.Origin: 1870–75; food + stuff

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/foodstuff

[DickFarang]

And "decaying foodstuff and material" sounds absolutely stupid and I personally think, it is a very weak style in reporting.

But glad, I could amuse you!

It's a perfectly acceptable word. Apparently its origin dates back to 1870, so it's an established term in the English language. Concerning yourself with "style in reporting" at any time, but especially during the current crisis, does seem a bit childish ... even more so when your criticism is unjustified.

food·stuff

noun a substance used or capable of being used as nutriment.Origin: 1870–75; food + stuff

http://dictionary.re...rowse/foodstuff

My dictionary says:

noun [usually pl.] (especially technical) any substance that is used as food:

basic foodstuffs

[avalonmick]

And "decaying foodstuff and material" sounds absolutely stupid and I personally think, it is a very weak style in reporting.

But glad, I could amuse you!

It's a perfectly acceptable word. Apparently its origin dates back to 1870, so it's an established term in the English language. Concerning yourself with "style in reporting" at any time, but especially during the current crisis, does seem a bit childish ... even more so when your criticism is unjustified.

food·stuff

noun a substance used or capable of being used as nutriment.Origin: 1870–75; food + stuff

http://dictionary.re...rowse/foodstuff

My dictionary says:

noun [usually pl.] (especially technical) any substance that is used as food:

basic foodstuffs

Let's face it, we're all just puddling in trivial details when the big picture is: large parts of Bangkok and Samut Prakarn will be technically and practically uninhabitable for months, perhaps years because of all the problems above: water borne disease, air borne disease, rodent borne disease, flood damaged infrastructure, and so on.

More people will die from the consequences of this flood than have died so far from the flood itself. it's just that most of those deaths will be invisible because they'll happen at home or in hospitals and be treated as part of the normal daily life/death cycle.

Personally I won't be going back to BKK for at least a year or more.

[BKKdreaming]

I wish that the people who care could get HN if he is able to do them, a couple radio / TV spots asking Thais to help out , clean up, watch out for each other etc

That is who the regular people will listen too,

A big problem is coming soon and the regular people are not being told what they need to do to protect themselves.

Maybe the guys doing the "Whale" videos can do some about these problems

BK

[kurnell]

And "decaying foodstuff and material" sounds absolutely stupid and I personally think, it is a very weak style in reporting.

But glad, I could amuse you!

It's a perfectly acceptable word. Apparently its origin dates back to 1870, so it's an established term in the English language. Concerning yourself with "style in reporting" at any time, but especially during the current crisis, does seem a bit childish ... even more so when your criticism is unjustified.

food·stuff

noun a substance used or capable of being used as nutriment.Origin: 1870–75; food + stuff

http://dictionary.re...rowse/foodstuff

My dictionary says:

noun [usually pl.] (especially technical) any substance that is used as food:

basic foodstuffs

Obviously someone thought they had a better grasp of the English language than a professional editor. D'oh!

[pogal]

These are just some observations over the last month, I am not an expert in anything or bashing anyone ok:)

I have worked all over BKK (and Ayhuttya) and the water is getting putrid in some areas, in some it seems ok, clear and free flowing, but in many its dark and obviously badly polluted. Walking through the water, which is inevitable sometimes, you can feel the garbage streaming over your legs and under your feet and of course the smell is a dead give away.

Mosquitoes (people keep arguing this with me) are "almost" everywhere in very large numbers. with a 5 day to 2 week+ larval cycle (depending on the breed) I'm sure we can expect a lot more. Main concern with this I believe is dengue although I have been bitten hundreds of times so far without catching anything.

People are still catching fish in streets and gardens and eating them, I'm not sure how the biological process works for pollution to make its way into the food chain but I have already seen many cases of food poisoning from various places.

I've seen stalls still selling food in ankle deep polluted water.

Still very little, or no, bottled water around some areas. People still buying in bulk when there are. NGO's buying straight from the factories so their distribution schedules are all out of sink.

Volunteers (who make up about 80% of the relief workforce) have dramatically decreased because they have to go back to work, some come in after work for a few hours if they can which is really admirable. I'm also amazed at people taking makeshift boats to work! or walking in a suit through shallow water to get to a bus or taxi holding their polished shoes in their hands with pants rolled up to their knees! Very resilient people are the Thais:)

I was surprised too at the reduction in supplies at a local makeshift hospital, half of the supplies gone already after 3 days I was off sick! The red plastic " hazardous waste" bags are being stored in a very larger red plastic bag (No hard protective container) next to the food serving area. Volunteers nurses and doctors look at it in puzzlement but have not said anything. I now do not eat there anymore and wear mask and gloves as soon as I get in the place. a definite increase in diarrhea related illness, so far 90% are treated with conventional medicines while 10% are transported to hospital for "reluctant" (this is another story in itself) admission.

Some cuts are very infected! I haven't seen infections like this for a long time (Since the Tsunami). I advise anyone who receives any sized cut in this water to have it treated and keep an eye on it until it's completely healed. A small cut can become badly infected on the inside very fast. I have seen a glass full of green pus removed from what looked like a seemingly tiny uninfected cut. Also lots of animal bites from cats and dogs to snakes and crocodiles. Still a few around apparently.

But I have seen these kinds of things before, and while I am paranoid about disease and infection, in the end none of the plagues that people predicted ever happened in many of the past floods and Tsunami I worked in. It seems at odds with what the experts say about cleanliness, etc. but somehow nature often (not always) seems to find a way around these "potential" lethal cocktails of bugs and bacteria. I'm hoping (or perhaps praying) that this will be one of those times although the huge areas of flooded land are like nothing I have seen before and the time span a lot longer than previous occasions.

I just hope everyone is ok and can cope with this prolonged situation. Please take care of yourselves everyone who is affected by these floods:)