Malaysia on alert for disease as floods return

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian health officials are on alert for outbreaks of disease as a second wave of floods hits southern areas, forcing more than 90 000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter at crowded relief centres.

Two people have died from leptospirosis, which is caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of animals such as rats, bringing the death toll from the worst floods in 37 years to 15, officials said. The other 13 deaths were due to drowning.Health deputy director-general Ramlee Rahmat urged the public not to play in dirty flood water and wear clothes that covered their bodies to prevent them from becoming infected.”But we are more concerned about food and water-borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera because those can spread fast.We are monitoring the situation,” Ramlee told Reuters yesterday.The latest floods cut off several towns in the southern state of Johor, which is a major oil palm and rubber growing region, and shut down power and water supplies.Johor is just across a narrow strait from Singapore, which has also been hit by days of heavy rain.Many of the victims had just returned to their homes when they were forced to move back to the evacuation centres.”We had just finished cleaning up our house a few days ago and were resting when the floods came back.Now we have to start all over again,” said 36-year-old Rosli Othman, a resident in Kluang, one of the worst-hit areas in Johor.”The flooding could get worse as it’s still raining here,” said the father of five.The Meteorological Department said rains in many parts of the state were expected to continue at least until Monday.The damage bill from last month’s floods, which displaced more than 100 000 people, was estimated at more than $28 million.Nampa-ReutersThe other 13 deaths were due to drowning.Health deputy director-general Ramlee Rahmat urged the public not to play in dirty flood water and wear clothes that covered their bodies to prevent them from becoming infected.”But we are more concerned about food and water-borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera because those can spread fast.We are monitoring the situation,” Ramlee told Reuters yesterday.The latest floods cut off several towns in the southern state of Johor, which is a major oil palm and rubber growing region, and shut down power and water supplies.Johor is just across a narrow strait from Singapore, which has also been hit by days of heavy rain.Many of the victims had just returned to their homes when they were forced to move back to the evacuation centres.”We had just finished cleaning up our house a few days ago and were resting when the floods came back.Now we have to start all over again,” said 36-year-old Rosli Othman, a resident in Kluang, one of the worst-hit areas in Johor.”The flooding could get worse as it’s still raining here,” said the father of five.The Meteorological Department said rains in many parts of the state were expected to continue at least until Monday.The damage bill from last month’s floods, which displaced more than 100 000 people, was estimated at more than $28 million.Nampa-Reuters