Floods increase the risk of disease contamination

Summer is the hottest season with the highest volume of rainfall in much of Brazil, especially in the Center-South. The season, which extends between December and March, usually has its peak of storms concentrated in January, and this year was no different, thanks to the combination of several meteorological systems, as reported by Climatempo.

Among the main systems, the SACZ (South Atlantic Convergence Zone) stands out, which causes heavy rains to fall over several consecutive days. Furthermore, the summer began under the influence of the La Niña phenomenon, which led to the cooling of the waters of the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and influenced the climate in recent months, as shown by a publication by MetSul Meteorologia.

For the month of January, MetSul projects rain close to or above average in much of the Midwest and Southeast Region of Brazil. The agency warns that some areas may have excessive precipitation with a high risk of flooding and landslides. The alert goes to the cities of Minas Gerais and the interior of the state of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.

Gleison Pinheiro, director of DESENTUPIDOR PROFESSIONAL, which provides services for drain cleaning in São Paulo (capital and interior), points out that in situations of heavy rain, such as those forecast for the next few days, flooding is expected, especially in large cities, such as Sao Paulo-SP).

“In big cities, clogged drains can cause problems such as the silting up of streams and rivers, in addition to the contamination of both the water table and the water from dams that citizens consume”, he says.

Among the various consequences of flooding, he continues, clogged drains can lead to contamination by diseases such as leptospirosis, hepatitis and diarrhea.

In Brazil, 41,602 cases of leptospirosis were confirmed between 2009 and 2019 alone. In that period, the disease led to the death of 3,583 people, with a fatality rate of 8.6%, with an accumulated incidence of 19.8 per 100 thousand inhabitants, according to data from the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Bahia Health Department.

Confirmed cases of viral hepatitis in the country, in turn, were 718,651 between 2000 and 2021. Of these, 168,175 (23.4%) refer to cases of hepatitis A, 264,640 (36.8%) to cases of hepatitis B, 279,872 (38.9%) with hepatitis C and 4,259 (0.6%) with hepatitis D, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Diarrhea, also mentioned by Pinheiro, was responsible for the hospitalization of 3.4 million Brazilians in a period of fifteen years (2000-2015), according to data from DATASUS and IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). In addition, 72,000 deaths from the disease were recorded in the country.

How to solve the clogged drain problem?

According to the director of DESENTUPIDOR PROFESSIONAL, it is normal for many people to have doubts regarding how to unclog the manholes and what are the main techniques and tools for this. He explains that the manhole is a part of the sewage system that is outside the houses. Therefore, the basic sanitation company is responsible for them.

“In São Paulo, for example, the responsible company is Sabesp. Therefore, when people from São Paulo have problems with a clogged drain, they must report it to the company so that it can solve the problem as quickly as possible”, he explains. “If the request is not met, residents can even legally appeal in court”, he adds.

To conclude, Pinheiro points out that specialized help can solve the problem of clogged drains. “A team specializing in unclogging resorts to the drain and evaluates the material that clogs the network. Thus, it is possible to remove the debris with the help of the appropriate equipment, without damaging the underpass or the floor, ”he explains.

For more information, just access: www.desentupidorprofissional.com.br

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