Rainy weather: 4 Monsoon Disease Groups, Symptoms

Choose the content to read

• Why does rainy weather cause monsoon diseases?
• Airborne diseases
• Waterborne diseases
• Skin infections
• Mosquito-borne diseases
• How to Take Care of Your Health during the Rainy Season?

Rainy Weather: Common Monsoon Diseases

Rainy weather during the rainy season is due to seasonal wind changes or monsoonal winds, particularly in Southeast Asian countries influenced by the southwest monsoon. The southwest monsoon carries sea vapor from the Indian Ocean over the land, causing abundant rainfall for several months throughout the rainy seasons, with additional factors including the monsoon trough, depression, and topography. For Thailand, the rainy season starts around May and lasts until October. The peak rainfall months are usually between August and September and often bring some monsoon diseases, affecting people’s health.

Why does rainy weather cause monsoon diseases?

The cooler temperatures during the rainy season, higher humidity, and flooding from heavy precipitation are environmental factors conducive to the growth of several germs. They can also spread to humans more easily and quickly through the air, water, and animal vectors, especially when the body's immune system is weak and comes into contact with rain droplets. This will increase the risk of infection and make it easier to get sick with monsoon diseases.

4 Common monsoon diseases during rainy season

1. AIRBORNE DISEASES

1. COVID 19
   • COVID 19: severe acute respiratory infection caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, transmitted through breathing in aerosols from the coughs, sneezes, mucus, or saliva of infected persons into the mouth, nose, and/or lungs, or through contact with COVID-19 virus-contaminated objects and then touching the nose, mouth, or eyes, leading to infection of COVID-19 (symptoms typically appear within 3-4 days).
   • Symptoms: fever, cough, stuffy nose, runny nose, difficulty breathing, sore throat, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, loss of smell or taste
   • Recommendations: wear a protective face mask, quarantine or isolate yourself, and have an ATK test. If the result is positive and symptoms are severe, such as pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment immediately.
2. Influenza
   • Influenza: an acute respiratory viral infection caused by influenza A, B, or C, transmitted from person to person through breathing in droplets from coughs, sneezes, nasal discharge, or saliva of infected persons or contact with secretions contaminated with the influenza virus and then touching the nose, mouth, or eyes with hands. Symptoms usually appear within 1-4 days.
   • Symptoms: sudden high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough, runny nose, sore throat, pink eyes, watery eyes, and fatigue.
   • Recommendations: Wear a protective face mask, isolate yourself, take fever-reducing medication, drink water, and get enough rest. Within 24 hours after taking medication, if the body temperature does not improve, the symptoms become more severe, or if you are in a high-risk group, go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment right away.
3. Pneumonia
   • Pneumonia: an acute respiratory infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, transmitted to humans through breathing, coughing, sneezing, choking on saliva, drinking water, or food contaminated with germs, congested in the upper respiratory tract, and then spreads to the lungs, causing pneumonia.
   • Symptoms: flu-like symptoms, with a high fever, fatigue, coughing with phlegm, along with nausea, sudden shortness of breath, vomiting, and chest pain.
   • Recommendations: When you start to have symptoms like common colds, keep your distance, take fever-reducing medication, drink plenty of water, and get enough rest. If you have a high fever that does not subside, fatigue, difficulty breathing (dyspnea), and severe chest pain, particularly if you are elderly, see a doctor at the hospital right away.

2. WATERBORNE DISEASES

1. Acute diarrhea
   • Acute diarrhea: Infections in the digestive tract caused by bacteria, parasites, protozoa, or viruses such as rotavirus or norovirus; contamination with unclean food, drinking water, or ice; undercooked food; or food that flies land on, and then is put into the mouth, causing acute diarrhea.
   • Symptoms: watery stools 3 times or more within 24 hours, or bloody mucus in the stool 1 time or more within 24 hours. Stomach pain, twisting pain, straining pain, cramping pain, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations.
   • Recommendations: take activated carbon and sip water containing ORS to prevent dehydration. If you have persistent watery stools for longer than 2-3 days and have a high fever, severe stomach pain, watery stools like foul-smelling rice-water, lethargy, dry mouth, restlessness, less urine output, or a rapid pulse, see a doctor at the hospital as soon as possible.

3. SKIN INFECTIONS

1. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD)
   
   • Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD): a contagious viral infection of the enterovirus group in the digestive and respiratory tract via direct contact with the nasal mucus, saliva, wounds, blisters, or feces of an infected person or indirect contact with objects, things, or toys contaminated with the virus and then entering the body, especially in young children under 5 years old (incubation period 3-5 days).
   • Symptoms: fever, fatigue, sore mouth, sore throat, becoming petulant, drooling, loss of appetite, sores on the cheeks, palate, and tongue; small red rashes or blisters on the palms, soles, and around the buttocks and genitalia; and rashes may occur on the arms, legs, and torso.
   • Recommendations: separate children/patients from contact with others, wear a protective face mask, wipe the body and take fever-reducing medication, give soft food, wash hands with soapy water every time, and clean personal items. If the fever is higher than 39 degrees for more than 48 hours, restlessness, crying, frequent vomiting, severe headache, pale skin, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue, rush to the hospital to see a doctor.
2. Leotospirosis
   • Leptospirosis: a bacterial zoonotic infection transmitted from animals to humans via direct contact with the bacterium Leptospira from the urine of disease-carrying animals such as rats, pigs, dogs, cows, or buffaloes, and is contaminated with floodwater during the rainy season or in environments with stagnant water. The bacteria can then infect humans through wounds on the skin, eyes, nose, and mouth, or they can burrow into skin that has been soaked in water for a while, or by eating undercooked food contaminated with bacteria (incubation period 7-12 days).
   • Symptoms: sudden high fever, headache, confusion, muscle aches, particularly in the calves and lower back, along with fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, pink eyes, or subconjunctival hemorrhage.
   • Recommendations: Avoid wading through water and mud. If necessary, wear boots. Do not let the wound soak in the water. Cover the wound with a waterproof plaster dressing. Eat well-cooked food, drink clean water, and clean your accommodation. If you have a high fever, severe headache, chills, pink eyes, or severe muscle pain, particularly in the calf and thigh muscles, after being exposed to floodwater for 1-2 weeks, see a doctor at the hospital right away.
3. Melioidosis
   • Melioidosis: a bacterial infection in people and animals by coming into contact with a bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, contaminated in soil or natural water sources, which then enters the body through wounds, dust inhalation, or choking on or swallowing contaminated water (incubation period is 1–21 days, with an average of 4–9 days).
   • Symptoms: fever, shortness of breath, pulmonary spots without any symptoms, skin, lung, or internal organ pustules or abscesses, necrotizing lung tissue, and bloodstream infections resulting in death.
   • Recommendations: eat clean food and drink clean water, wear a protective face mask to prevent dust, and always wear protective boots, rubber gloves, long pants, and a wetsuit every time before doing agriculture during the rainy season. If there is a history of contact with soil or water sources, along with fever, shortness of breath, or symptoms like infectious diseases such as typhoid fever, see a doctor at a hospital as soon as possible.

4. MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

1. Dengue fever
   
   • Dengue fever: a mosquito-borne viral infection with 4 different types of dengue virus strains, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female Aedes aegypti or yellow fever mosquitoes as the vector, causing dengue fever (incubation period 3-4 days, with an average of 4-7 days)
   • Symptoms: sudden onset of high fever (39–40 degrees) for 2–7 consecutive days, headache, red face, muscle and bone pain, pain around the eye sockets, joint pain, bleeding gums, blood spots on the skin, red patches on the body, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting (second-time dengue fever will have more severe symptoms than the first infection).
   • Recommendations: Take paracetamol to reduce fever. Do not use aspirin, ibuprofen, or NSAIDs as they will increase bleeding. Sip water containing ORS at intervals, sponge the body against the pores to lower body temperature, eat soft food, and drink enough water. If a high fever persists and does not respond to fever-reducing medications, see a doctor at the hospital right away.
2. Chikungunya
   • Chikungunya: a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes as the vector. The virus spreads to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes, causing chikungunya fever (the incubation period is 1-12 days, with an average of 3-7 days).
   • Symptoms: an abrupt onset of a high fever and joint swelling and redness, starting at the wrists, ankles, arms, and legs. Some people may develop rashes, headaches, muscle aches, pink eyes, and nausea.
   • Recommendations: Take paracetamol to reduce fever and relieve joint pain. Do not use aspirin, ibuprofen, or NSAIDs. Sponge the body to reduce temperature, drink water, and get enough rest. If the fever persists for 2-4 days after taking fever-reducing medications, you have pink eyes, and you have severely painful joints in many regions that make it impossible to move about the joints, see a doctor at the hospital right away.
3. Zika fever
   • Zika fever: a mosquito-borne viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti as the vector. The virus can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, or mother-to-fetus transmission, and then exhibits symptoms of Zika fever (incubation period of 2-14 days, with an average of 4-7 days) or may not exhibit any symptoms.
   • Symptoms: low-grade fever, red rash on the body, arms, and legs; palm rash, conjunctivitis, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and diarrhea. Symptoms are usually mild and go away in 2-7 days. However, pregnant women run the risk of complications, including congenital microcephaly, developmental delays, or miscarriage.
   • Recommendations: Take paracetamol to lower fever and joint pain. Do not use aspirin, ibuprofen, or NSAIDs. Sponge the body to reduce temperature, rest, and drink plenty of water. If you experience a high fever after taking fever-reducing drugs, pink eyes, and joint pain, particularly in pregnant women, see a doctor at the hospital immediately.

How to Take Care of Your Health during the Rainy Season  

Rainy weather is brought on by variations in the weather conditions during the rainy season. The rain during monsoon usually poses the risk of contagious diseases and health conditions, resulting in illness and death of people each year. To take care of your health and protect yourself during the rainy season is therefore crucial for all of us. These include wearing a raincoat, using an umbrella, getting up-to-date vaccinations, eating a healthy diet, drinking enough water, getting enough rest, taking vitamin supplements, and exercising regularly, as well as avoiding flooded areas or unclean water sources, preventing mosquito bites, and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds. Maintaining these good hygienic practices will help you stay healthy throughout the rainy season.