Cases of diarrhoea are spreading amongst fishermen working on fishing boats and their attached rafts, operating offshore of Ahsin Village in Ye Township, Mon State.
In the last week of September, two fishermen contracted diarrhoea whilst at sea. The disease spread around the boat and its attached rafts and by 11 October 40 fishermen were suffering from diarrhoea.
The boat docked at Ahsin Village and those suffering from severe symptoms were taken for further treatment to Ye Township People’s Hospital, where they are being monitored and treated under quarantine.
For some of those suffering from diarrhoea the symptoms seem to clear up before recurring a few days later. So far, the only cases were contracted whilst the sufferers were at sea and there has been no transmission of diarrhoea reported in Ahsin Village.
Also, in the last week of September, a fisherman who docked in Ahsin Village died from diarrhoea. The use of seawater for washing and toilets; and eating improperly cleaned or cooked seafood like sea snails and fish, may have contributed to the spread of diarrhoea amongst the fishermen, according to locals.
In mid-September an outbreak of diarrhoea amongst fishermen in the waters off the coast of Kyaikkhami Town in Thanbyuzayat Township, Mon State, killed six fishermen and infected about another 150.