Florianópolis beaches face outbreak of diarrhea

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The Municipal Secretary of Health of Florianópolis is studying the causes of an outbreak of diarrhea this summer season. According to data from Epidemiological Surveillance, since the beginning of the year until the morning of this Tuesday (10), 1,251 people have already sought out the two UPAs (Emergency Care Units) in the capital of Santa Catarina with symptoms of “acute diarrheal diseases”.

The highest number of visits (914) was recorded at the North UPA, located on Canasvieiras beach and which mostly serves vacationers and residents of beaches in the north of the island —such as Ingleses, Praia Brava and Jurerê.

The other services were carried out by the UPA Sul, located on Campeche beach and which also serves visitors to neighboring beaches such as Lagoinha do Leste, Morro das Pedras and Pântano do Sul.

In most cases, patients experienced symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain and an increased number of bowel movements and loose or liquid stools. In acute cases, to avoid dehydration, it is necessary to administer saline into the patient’s vein.

According to the secretariat, the agent causing the sudden outbreak is still unknown and the registered cases are being analyzed in search of the origin of the outbreak. The prediction is that the first conclusions come out next week.

Still according to the city hall, it is too early to establish a relationship between the problems of bathing on the beaches of Santa Catarina this season and cases of diarrhea, given that municipalities without a beach, such as São José, would also be facing a similar outbreak.

Monitoring done by Sheet since 2016, the conditions of Brazilian beaches have shown a considerable deterioration in the state’s bathing conditions in the last year – among the 230 beaches in Santa Catarina, 98 were classified as bad or terrible. In 2021, that number was 74.

Considering only the 87 measurement points in Florianópolis, the number of good beaches decreased and those considered regular increased, which means, in practice, that pollution reached new points on the island. To be considered good, the beach must remain bathable in all measurements taken weekly. The regular ones had compromised bathing in less than 25% of the measurements.

In 2021, there were 37 good beaches and 23 regular ones in Florianópolis. Last year, the numbers were almost equivalent: there were 31 good and 30 regular. The number of bad or very bad beaches rose from 27 to 28, which means that they were unsuitable for bathing in more than 25% (bad) or 50% (very bad) of the monitored weeks.

Although it recognizes the bathing problem, the Florianópolis City Hall points out as one of the causes the return of agglomerations this summer after the most critical years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sharing personal objects such as towels, cutlery, cups at home encourages the proliferation of intestinal viruses.

According to guidelines from the Ministry of Health, episodes of intestinal disarrangement are usually caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa present in water or in contaminated food ingested by people. Therefore, the best way to prevent illness is to drink only boiled or mineral water, cook food well, avoid raw food and pay attention to food storage conditions.

Regarding the beaches, it is best to avoid the sea in places that are unsuitable for swimming, especially in the first 24 hours after a period of rain.

The city hall also advises people who observe symptoms of diarrhea to drink liquids such as water, whey, soups and juices, always with mineral or boiled water, in order to stay hydrated, and try to eat light foods.

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