As of May 18, the sixth day after the earthquake, more and more earthquake victims have diarrhea, they're catching colds and getting bitten by dogs in Wenchuan County. Fortunately, everyone may receive treatment in various field hospitals set up by Army Hospital relief workers. Disease prevention teams have been sent to the quake-hit areas from the Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Sichuan CDC).

Mad dogs bite people

The inner side of Liu Guijun's knee was injured due to a dog bite. He received treatment in a field hospital set up by the Beijing Army General Hospital.

On the morning of May 14, when Liu Guijun finished his porridge in a tent with another villager, a black and yellow dog rushed up to him and bit him randomly. Because he was busy doing reconstruction work, Liu didn't think he had been seriously injured so he did not seek any treatment until May 18.

On May 17 medical staff of the Hainan Frontier Garrison Hospital for the Armed Police said that they had treated many victims bitten by dogs after they arrived at Longchi Town, Dujiangyan on May 14. Due to limited medical supplies they could only clean the victims' wounds.

Doctor Li Yunjun, working for Beijing Army General Hospital, cleaned Liu Guijun's wound but lacked any rabies vaccine on May 18. He advised Liu to go to Dujiangyan to get the rabies vaccine as quickly as possible. Doctor Li explained that a dog becomes more aggressive after losing his master and/or experiencing an earthquake. He also suggested that victims carry sticks to ward off vicious dogs.

Unclean drinking water results in diarrhea

Many field hospitals set up by the Beijing Army General Hospital and the Hainan Frontier Garrison Hospital for the Armed Police have treated several hundred patients with cold symptoms and diarrhea as of the afternoon of May 18.

Ms Li from Wayao village, Xuankou Town did not have any medicine to combat her sore throat for six days; afterwards she received treatment in a newly established field hospital. Another six-year-old boy from the same village had almost endless diarrhea until treated. Many similar illnesses are prevalent in this town, Beijing News reported on May 18.

According to the Beijing Army General Hospital, their field hospital treated 200 patients on May 17, of whom over 30 percent suffer from colds and diarrhea, caused, according to medical personnel, by unclean water. Disease prevention staff from Chengdu repeatedly sprayed disinfectant around living quarters, toilets and throughways. A staff member from the Chengdu Wuhou district CDC who is working in a living area in Xuankou Town said disaster area's disease prevention work has been effective because no cases of plague have materialized to date.

The same situation exists in some towns around Qingchuan County, according to a China News Service report; Increasingly people are getting diarrhea and catching colds. Because of the earthquake, water sources may be contaminated. Water purification efforts have not been totally effective under current conditions.

Currently, disease prevention is the top priority for all medical staff. More sanitation and disinfectant campaigns are needed.

(China.org.cn by Wu Huanshu, May 19, 2008)