YANGON, July 2 (Xinhua) -- More cyclone victims in Myanmar have been found
infected with tuberculosis (TB) in the aftermath of the storm disaster that
stroke the country early last May, the local weekly 7-Day News reported
Wednesday quoting the TB Program of the Medical Association.
A total of 21,834 storm victims have been found carrying TB virus two
months after the disaster following field trips to the storm-hit areas by over
500 experts with the medical association, the report said.
Diseases such as TB, malaria, dengue fever and diarrehoea easily hit people
especially when they live in populated relief camps.
TB generally occurred in Myanmar with 100,000 people found infected
annually, according to medical experts.
TB is among the three major communicable diseases of national concern in
Myanmar. The other two are HIV/AIDS and malaria.
The health authorities have called for efforts to combat the three
diseases.
Meanwhile, international medical teams have joined in healthcare services
for cyclone victims soon after the disaster.
Various domestic healthcare associations, international non-governmental
organizations, private clinics and Myanmar traditional medicine practitioners
have also made field trips to storm-hit areas and carried out treatment for
survivors.
Meanwhile, state media reported earlier no outbreak of other contagious and
epidemic diseases in the storm-hit areas, saying that a total of 206,039 storm
patients had received medical treatment during a month after the cyclone storm
hit the country.
Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit
five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago,Mon and Kayin on May 2 and
3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive
infrastructural damage. The storm has killed 84,537 people, leaving 53,836
missing and 19,359 injured according to the latest official death
toll.