9 die, 300 others suffer from diarrhea in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, May 23 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Cambodians have died and about 300 others have been medically treated and hospitalized by diarrhea in Cambodia's northeast province of Kratie, a provincial official said Sunday.

Chhneang Vutha, chief of Kratie provincial health department, told Xinhua by telephone from the province that at least nine people have died and about 300 others have been medically treated and hospitalized by diarrhea since March this year.

He said five districts in the province have been affected by the cause of diarrhea, and he attributed the deaths and suffering of the disease to lack of personal sanitation precaution as well as the lack of toilets in rural areas.

The first diarrhea case was reported in March this year during the dry season which normally begins from November through April.

Kratie is located about 320 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh.

Recently, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has alerted his people to take more precaution on several causes including diarrhea and lighting that are harmful to human lives in recent months.

He, also, appealed to doctors and health officers around the country to provide more care to the people.

Strategies to Prevent Dangerous Diarrhea

A sick young Cambodian girl in Pailin is located in western Cambodia. (Photo: AP)

Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Friday, 21 May 2010

"The persons who have cholera have a loss of body fluids leading to dehydration and a life-threatening medical condition."

A prolonged hot season in Cambodia has brought about an increasing number of cases of severe diarrhea, including more than 30 that were fatal.

Diarrhea can be dangerous because it causes dehydration, Taing Tek Hong, a Florida-based physician, said on Thursday.

“You need to drink a lot of water or use oral rehydration solutions,” he said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

Rehydration solutions are “a mixture of clean water, salt and sugar, which can be prepared safely at home,” he said. “The glucose in the solution is important because it forces the small intestine to quickly absorb the fluid and minerals.”

“Death can follow severe dehydration if body fluids are not replenished,” he said.

Diarrhea can come from infections caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites in water. Water can be contaminated with human waste from sewage, septic tanks, wells and ponds. Diarrhea can be spread from person to person if they don’t take care of personal hygiene. Food can also cause diarrhea if it is prepared or stored in unclean conditions.

“Fish and seafood from polluted water may also contribute to the disease,” Taing Tek Hong said. “Infection is more common when there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.”

The most common cause of diarrhea is an infection from a virus known as the norovirus,” he said. “It is transmitted by food that is contaminated by sick food-handlers or by infected person. Norovirus spreads very rapidly in communities such as overnight camps, prisons, dormitories and cruise ships. Rotavirus and E. Coli are the two most common causes of diarrhea in developing countries.”

Cholera, meanwhile, is an acute diarrhea caused by an infection of the intestine, he said.

“The persons who have cholera have a loss of body fluids leading to dehydration and a life-threatening medical condition,” he said. “Without treatment, death can occur within hours. A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. The source of the contamination is usually the waste of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate drinking water.”

To prevent diarrhea, Taing Tek Hong recommends drinking only water that has been boiled.

“Other safe beverages include tea, soda, Coca Cola or Sprite with no ice,” he said. “Eat only foods that have been fully cooked and are still hot. Avoid undercooked seafood or shellfish. Make sure all vegetables are cooked.”

And to prevent dehydration, continued feeding and rehydration are important. Zinc tablets can help reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea. And children should be immunized against the rotavirus that can cause the disease.

“Washing your hands with soap could potentially reduce the number of diarrhea cases,” Taing Tek Hong said. “The foundations of good health are safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene.”

Heat wave in PPenh

Friday 21 May 2010
By P.M.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Neay Koeuk

To escape the heat wave in Phnom Penh, city dwellers are taking over coffee shops equipped with air conditions, empty the shelves of ice and fans shops.

While the temperature bursts through the roof, city dwellers are on the lookout for cool places while waiting for the start of the rainy season.

Blaze Sweeping Through Provincial Forest

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
22 April 2009

A fire in two provinces has destroyed 2,000 hectares of forest and is still burning, with authorities unable to stop it.

The fire, in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey province, was caused by villagers burning their rice fields, and hot weather and dry conditions allowed it to spread, officials said Wednesday.

“Since April 19, the fire started in Preah Neak Preah district in Banteay Meanchey, and it spread to Preak Tol district of Battambang,” Kok Elen, chief section director of the Preak Tol fishery, told VOA Khmer. “We don’t have the capability to end it.”

No person has been injured in the fire, but the blaze has so far killed 10 monkeys and five turtles, he said.

Brig. Gen. Sar Theth, chief of Battambang police, said the authorities could not reach the fire by road with trucks. “I sent three fire trucks to that area, but we couldn’t reach the place.”

The fire has also destroyed 10 artillery shells at a former Vietnamese storage facility, he said.

Um Sakhon, governor of Ek Phnom district, Battambang, said Wednesday that commune officials there were trying to mobilize villages to beat the fire back with brooms, sticks and water buckets.