Around 15 days have passed after the Sichuan province in China was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which killed about 196 people. The local health authorities said that so far there have been no reports of an outbreak of infectious diseases.
The epicentre of the earthquake was in Ya’an and the health bureau of the city said that the authorities are exterminating pests, monitoring drinking water and also preventing any potential outbreak of diseases at relocation sites. A high school in Ya’an has been transformed into a major relocation site which has resulted in sterilizing fluids being smelled throughout the school.
Reports said that rubbish bins were placed strategically and posters about disease control have been put up on walls as well. Yuan Zhengquan, who heads the disease control team work in Ya’an said, “We are optimistic about disease control in the quake zone”.
A public health expert with the academy of the Military Medical Sciences said that his team has been focusing on disease control in remote villages. Drinking water in the country is also being tested so that it can be safely consumed. There are some places in the city where the water is still unsafe to drink, but they have issued warning signs to prevent people from consuming it.
