An infectious disease specialist is warning residents in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast to protect themselves from infections while flooding continues across the region.
Dr. Moti Ramgopal of Florida Coast Medical Center said people with diabetes, patients undergoing chemotherapy and anyone with a weakened immune system face the greatest risk. He said anyone who wades through contaminated water without proper protection can be infected. Residents should wear protective shoes, cover their legs and check their feet as soon as they leave the water.
Ramgopal also cautioned that people can swallow harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella from contaminated water. He advised keeping children out of floodwater entirely. As water recedes from homes, he said, fungal problems and mold can build up.
He said he is treating one to two patients a day for floodwater-related infections, including a woman with a leg gash that needed aggressive wound care. Many of the patients are older adults who had to walk through water to get around, he said. People with neuropathy may not feel injuries on their feet, so he urged them to look for open wounds.
Standing water also attracts mosquitoes, and doctors are monitoring the area for a possible rise in dengue cases in the coming weeks.
