Expat Community > Ecuador

OceanHideaway
Joined 2010
Posts: 6876

Message for U.S. Citizens: Hazards Associated with Wet Season

12 years ago

From: "ACS, Guayaquil"
To: "ACS, Guayaquil"
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 2:12 PM
Subject: Message for U.S. Citizens: Dengue, Road Hazards associated with wet season

U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil, Ecuador - Message For U.S. Citizens

Wet Season results in disease & road closures in Coastal Ecuador

January 27, 2012

As the change in season has brought stronger-than-anticipated rains in
coastal Ecuador over the last few weeks, the U.S. Consulate General in
Guayaquil would like to remind all U.S. citizens living or traveling in
Ecuador of weather-related hazards currently affecting the Ecuadorian
coast.

Reports of Dengue Fever & Malaria in Coastal Ecuador

There have been more than 400 cases of dengue, including the more severe
dengue hemorrhagic fever, in coastal Ecuador since January 1. The
majority of the cases have been located in the provinces of Guayas,
Manabi, and Los Rios; cases have also been reported in El Oro and
Esmeraldas. There have been also been six cases of malaria reported in
the provinces of Esmeraldas and Los Rios.

Both diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes, so whenever possible U.S.
citizens in Ecuador should take measures to avoid being bitten. U.S.
citizens living in Ecuador should inspect their properties for standing
water, which is where mosquitoes breed. In the event you development
symptoms of dengue (high fever, joint pain, severe headache, and/or
rash), you should avoid taking painkillers that contain aspirin and
consult with a physician immediately.

The Center for Disease Control has detailed information about both
malaria and dengue on their website, located at cdc.gov/malaria and
cdc.gov/dengue.

Road Closures throughout Ecuador

As the wet season begins, all U.S. citizen travelers should be advised
of the potential for road closures due to flooding and landslides.
Recently, roads have been severely flooded or damaged near Machala and
Loja as a result of heavy rains. With limited options for alternate
routes, the flooding has disrupted travel on the major highway between
Guayaquil and Machala for short periods of time. Damaged secondary
roads, particularly in rural areas, may take days or weeks to be
repaired. When traveling by land, all travelers should seek out
up-to-date information about the status of roads and bridges from local
authorities and/or the Ecuadorian media and be prepared for unexpected
delays while traveling.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Ecuador are encouraged to enroll
with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to obtain updated
information on travel and security within Ecuador through the Department
of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
.

U.S. citizens should consult the Country Specific Information
; for
Ecuador and the latest Travel Alerts and Warnings and Worldwide Caution
at the Department's website ; . Updated
information on travel and security in Ecuador may also be obtained from
the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United
States or by calling 1-202-501-4444 outside the United States.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Message from my Consulate Warden here on Punta Carnero:

Just wanted to make sure everyone got this message. There is a link at the bottom which gives you the site on which you can register to get these messages directly, tho I usually send them as well.

I read through the CDC info on dengue; there are 4 different dengue viruses. The most severe causes hemorrhagic dengue, which can be fatal; however, that particular strain has not been identified in Santa Elena. In fact, Santa Elena Province is not even mentioned as having reported cases of any type of dengue. My guess, however, is that we may be more at risk this year with the increased rain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And my addendum back to the grooup:

It was mentioned briefly in this communique but should be reinforced.

Taking any aspirin or aspirin-like pain relievver/fever reducers including but not limited to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc) and naproxen (Alleve) is undesireable in the case of dengue as they have blood thinning effects that can cause or further worsen the effects of hemmoraghing including hemorage in the lungs. This is also the case if you are on any blood thinning medication such as cumadin or plavix.

If you feel a case of the flu coming on limit yourself to Tylenol type medications (acetaminophen) and contact a doctor immediately.

Here on our little Punta Carnero area and into Salinas Dr Jose Rendon-Mackliff is always available for house-calls and is well versed in treating dengue. His phone number is: 091774609 and if you need assistance speaking with him (he has some English but like us has difficulty understanding over the phone) call me at 085-380-680.

Remember to use OFF! or other repellent with DEET, pour bleach into any standing water you can't drain, and purchasing insect netting for over your bed is a good idea just to be super certain you are okay.

Stay well, be happy!

Susan
TheOceanHideaway.com

William Russell

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Message for U.S. Citizens: Hazards Associated with Wet Season

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