The Ministry of Health instantly monitors case reports and analyzes the risk of epidemics from earthquake zones through the "Surveillance and Early Warning System" (IZCI).
The deadly disaster in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6 affected nearly 11 provinces and millions of lives, with over 41,000 casualties. Now, the quake-affected zone is prone to many epidemics, such as intestinal infections, contagious diseases, respiratory tract diseases and many other conditions.
In this context, under the leadership of the General Directorate of Public Health, the Ministry of Health makes efforts to ensure the follow-ups of primary health care services in tent cities, disinfection of public areas, spraying against rodents and pests, health screenings in villages, as well as intensive chlorination of water resources, collection of water samples from different points in the region, regular monitoring of suspected diarrhea cases, and distribution of rabies and tetanus vaccines to the area, continue uninterruptedly.
IZCI system
Teams of field epidemiologists in provinces and districts affected by earthquakes collect samples against the risk of epidemics and analyze them regularly.
Infectious disease data and analyses taken from earthquake zones are monitored instantly through the infectious disease surveillance and early warning system IZCI, launched by the ministry a while ago to monitor possible outbreaks.
With the system, where case reports can be uploaded instantly in the electronic environment, the spread of infectious diseases is monitored, and necessary protection and control measures are taken in cases that pose a threat.
The ministry also created a different monitoring system for the health units that could not transmit data to IZCI due to power cuts and internet problems in some of the provinces most affected by the earthquake. In this way, the data was imported into the system.
As a result of the data received and analyzed in this context, no infectious disease outbreak has been detected so far.
Intensive chlorination
Experts constantly monitor mains waters in 10 provinces against diseases that can be transmitted through water. While intensive chlorination is applied to water in cities, residual chlorine measurements and microbiological examinations are carried out with regular samples from different points.
To prevent infectious diseases that can be seen after disasters, brochures were prepared on personal hygiene, carbon monoxide poisoning, measures to be taken against the cold, water disinfection, lice and scabies, and medicines were distributed in cities for the treatment of scabies.
According to the latest data, residual chlorine was measured at 8,379 points in the earthquake zone between Feb. 6-17, and the residual chlorine was found to be appropriate 81.54% of the time. Furthermore, in microbiological examinations, 77% of the 2,632 water samples analyzed in public health laboratories were reported as "microbiologically appropriate."
While drinking water is distributed in packages in tent cities against possible risks, the drinking water coming by tanker is also regularly chlorinated. Authorities state that there is no epidemic situation in terms of rash diseases and acute intestinal infections in the region.
The ministry also studies child vaccinations in tent cities and hospitals in the provinces affected by the earthquake.