Expert warns public vs El Niño related diseases

Several diseases may become prevalent due to the El Niño phenomenon, said Philippine College of Physicians President and infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Friday.

“Yung health natin ay nakabatay doon sa the way we cook, our attitude towards health. Importante pa rin, even with or without El Niño, panatilihin natin ang kapaligaran natin malinis because of dengue,” Solante said in a Bagong Pilipinas interview.

(Our health depends on the way we cook and on our attitude. It is important that with or without El Niño, let's keep our environment clean because of the risk of dengue.)

“Sa mga pagkain naman, kailangan maghugas ng kamay bago kakain at siguraduhin yung source ng mga pagkain natin at tubig comes from highly hygienic preparation,” he added.

(For food, we need to wash our hands before eating and ensure the source of our food and water comes from highly hygienic preparation.)

Solante said the common diseases during this period were food- and waterborne diseases like typhoid fever, salmonella, shigella, and hepatitis A, among others.

Bacteria, viral, and parasitic infections like amoebiasis were also possible.

Vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria were also common during periods of El Niño, according to Solante.

Solante warned of heatstroke, especially among senior citizens who were the most vulnerable to this condition.

The symptoms of heatstroke are headache, dizziness, hypertension, and difficulty sleeping, among others, according to Solante.

To avoid a heat-related condition, he advised the public to drink eight to 12 glasses of water, wear clothes with light fabric, and keep away from sunlight exposure.

On July 4, 2023, PAGASA declared the start of the El Niño in the Tropical Pacific.

The El Niño is characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, leading to below-normal rainfall.

Its effects could lead to drought, water shortages, damage to crops, limited power supply, among others. — DVM, GMA Integrated News