Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Food- and water-borne diseases in the summer

The number 1 problem that I will face during the next couple of months is going to be related to contaminated food & water. Here are a few tips to help prevent these illnesses... 
1.Summer is the season for typhoid, jaundice and diarrhea.
2.The main reasons are scarcity of water and poor food, water and hand hygiene.
3.In summer, the requirement of water increases by 500 ml in adults due to excessive sweating.
4. For food hygiene, remember the formula ‘heat it, boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it’.
5. Any food or liquid, if heated before use, cannot cause infection.
6. Any liquid or water, if boiled before use, cannot cause infection.
7.Any fruit, which can be peeled by hands, for example, banana and orange cannot cause infection.
8.Do not use ice prepared from unsterilized water.
9.Do not take cut fruits and vegetables that have been left open.
10.Do not drink sugarcane juice sold on the roadsides.
11.Do not drink water in unwashed glass on the roadside.
12.Do not eat food that has been leftover for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
13.Do not eat cucumbers, carrots, watermelon etc. that is sold on the roadsides as chaat unless hygienic.
14. Please ensure that adults &  kids have taken their vaccinations including Typhoid & Hepatitis A shots. Cholera can be considered for people residing in high risk areas including slums and if there is an epidemic.

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