2023-11-09 17:27:13
“Floods like the one that hit Tuscany and which poured over 100 thousand tons of waste into the streets and an incalculable quantity of mud, have effects on the health of citizens not only directly, in terms of deaths as a consequence of the destruction caused by the flooding of the territory , but also indirect, with long-term repercussions.” This was stated by the experts of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima), who raise the alarm on the hygienic, health and psychological risks for the population of Tuscany.
“A flood causes death by drowning, heart attack, hypothermia, electrical injuries and wounds, but these are only the direct and immediately visible effects of the emergency – explains the president Alessandro Miani -. The indirect effects, however, can only be monitored in the long term: just think that the overflow of waste water caused by floods increases the risk of infections (especially in the elderly and children) such as norovirus, hepatitis A, rotavirus, infections caused by Cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites , bacterial infections due to Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, etc. The risk of gastrointestinal diseases, dermatitis, conjunctivitis therefore grows exponentially, but actual poisoning is also possible, for example in the event of breakage of underground ducts, overflow of toxic waste, or release of chemical substances stored in the ground”.
“The stagnant water in houses and along the streets, then, causes a massive presence of mosquitoes and insects which increases the risk of disease transmission to humans – adds Miani -. Finally, the effects on the psychological front are not secondary: the floods generate post-traumatic disorders such as anxiety, depression, psychosocial disorders which can lead to suicides. Mental disorders determined both by the condition of displacement and by the damage caused to homes and the loss of family assets”, concludes President Sima.
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