New dangers lurk in flood as water recedes

• Source: Global Times
• [02:00 June 29 2010]
• Comments

Yang Bing, a health education expert from Jiangxi, told Xinhua earlier that those living in areas that were flooded should pay attention to hygiene to prevent the risk of cholera, typhoid fever and hepatitis.

There is another type of danger, officials said.

Xu Shuyuan, a villager in Luozhen, Fuzhou, was bitten by a viper one week ago after a rainstorm flooded her home. Xu was saved by an antivenin donated by a Shanghai drug company on Friday, the Jiangxi-based Information Daily reported Monday.

Xu is one of at least 20 people who were recently bitten by vipers and were recovering at the Fuzhou No. 1 People's Hospital.

Jiangxi dispatched 559 professional medical teams including 2,653 medical workers to the flooded areas. They have treated 9,140 people by Saturday, Xinhua reported.

The provincial health department also distributed 35,000 vaccines to residents and disaster workers in the flooded areas.