Flooded areas see growing prevalence of skin disease

Many villages still remain blanketed by muddy water two weeks after the typhoon battered Taiwan, and some residents have lingered in it for more than 10 hours a day to clean up their homes.

Experts say the water is full of germs from garbage and animal corpses and can cause serious infections such as cellulitis if it comes into contact with the wounds.

Among the cases is a 70-year-old senior citizen in the coastal town of Linbian township in Pingtung County, who has not been able to sleep because his arms have itched constantly after being in the muddy water too long.

Also, a woman's feet started to blister after wearing rain boots for ten days in a row. Both patients contracted dermatitis, contracted after wading too long in dirty water.

They are just two of numerous villagers who have consulted doctors in the area for inflammatory rashes and itches, and physicians have warned that anybody with such symptoms should immediately get treatment so that the infections do not fester.

Also, young and elderly people who have more sensitive skin have been warned about contracting the fungal skin infection tinea, which leads to itchiness and pealing of the skin.

Doctors have also cautioned that residents in flooded areas should be careful about the water they drink.

There are fears that some may draw on groundwater or springwater for drinking water if their supply of potable water has been cut off because those sources are contaminated and might cause stomach diseases.

People who have also recently had their tap water restored should also be careful because changes in water pipe pressure could "back draw" dirty water into the household pipes.

Excessive fluoride residue is another concern, experts say, because if it is ingested, it may induce asthma or other respiratory ailments.

Flood victims are highly encouraged to boil their tap water before using it.

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