NewsWhore
03-24-2009, 05:10 PM
The papers are reporting that more than 78,000 people, mostly children under the age of three, have been diagnosed with gastroenteritis over the last 45 days. Deputy Minister of Public Health Nelson Rodriguez Monegro urged parents to improve hygiene practices to curtail the bout. The most affected areas are the provinces of Santo Domingo, the National District, Santiago, La Vega, Duarte, Monsignor Nouel, Monte Plata, San Cristobal and Azua. Dr Rodriguez Monegro reported that in the National District the frequency of cases registered reached 12,000; in the province of Santo Domingo, 11,187; and in Santiago some 7,000 cases of vomiting and diarrhea had been reported. Cases in La Vega totaled 5,496; in Monsignor Nouel 3,441; Duarte, 2,288; Monte Plata, 2,700, and San Cristobal, 6,000 cases were reported. This strain of gastroenteritis, features symptoms of fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and lasts from four to nine days, can become much more serious, leading to dehydration and even death if the rotavirus is not treated in time with sufficient liquids. Over the weekend at the Robert Reid Cabral Children's Hospital, 310 children were admitted to the emergency room, 65 of whom were treated for dehydration. Due to the fact that the rotavirus that is causing the gastroenteritis is associated with a virus that causes respiratory infections, pediatrician Jorge Chahin Herrera advises parents not to expose their children to cool temperatures, since the virus is transmitted via the nose and mouth.
In order to prevent the illness and a possible epidemic, the director of Robert Reid Cabral Children's Hospital, Emilio Mena Castro, advises people to wash their hands with soap and water before preparing food for children, and to add a few drops of chlorine to water being consumed or used in food preparation.
Vegetables, fruits and other foods should be rinsed in chlorinated water and left for two minutes before preparation and consumption. Water should be boiled and disposable diapers should be changed frequently. In case children have any symptoms such as those described above, the specialist recommends taking the children to a health center immediately in order to begin re-hydration and prevent complications.
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In order to prevent the illness and a possible epidemic, the director of Robert Reid Cabral Children's Hospital, Emilio Mena Castro, advises people to wash their hands with soap and water before preparing food for children, and to add a few drops of chlorine to water being consumed or used in food preparation.
Vegetables, fruits and other foods should be rinsed in chlorinated water and left for two minutes before preparation and consumption. Water should be boiled and disposable diapers should be changed frequently. In case children have any symptoms such as those described above, the specialist recommends taking the children to a health center immediately in order to begin re-hydration and prevent complications.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)