Over 50 people, most of them fishermen, from Waepatan and Ahlap villages in Paung Township, Mon State have been hospitalised with diarrhoea.

The outbreak of diarrhoea began on 27 October in the villages of Waepatan and Ahlap near the coast and primarily affected fishermen.

A Paung Township resident said that the outbreak of diarrhoea was possibly due to the consumption of contaminated water and heatstroke.

He said: “The diarrhoea outbreak began on 27 October, primarily affecting fishermen from Waepatan and Ahlap villages. With 42 cases reported on 28 October and an additional 9 cases on the 29th, the diarrhoea outbreak has affected over 50 individuals. Five patients with severe symptoms have been transferred to Mawlamyine General Hospital. Some fishermen reported the outbreak started on their boats, while others said it began at home. They mentioned consuming pond water and heatstroke as possible causes. Patients are being treated at both Ahlap Cottage Hospital and Paung Township Hospital.”

Other affected people are receiving treatment at home so the total number of affected people is probably approaching 100. Some patients who were being treated at Ahlap Cottage Hospital have already recovered and been discharged.

The aforementioned resident said: “The situation has worsened as the outbreak has spread rapidly. It's also due to the lack of clean water. They [healthcare workers] are currently disinfecting with chlorine, but vaccinations haven't started yet. There are concerns that other villages may also be affected.”

In the first week of September, an outbreak of diarrhoea in Kyaikkhami Town in Mon State’s Thanbyuzayat Township resulted in the deaths of six fishermen and over 100 others being hospitalised.

In mid-September there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in Asinsanpya village in Ye Township, Mon State amongst fishermen returning from being at sea.

In the last week of September 40 fishermen who had been at sea returned to Ahsin Village, also in Ye Township, suffering from diarrhoea that resulted in some of them being hospitalised.

Despite these outbreaks of diarrhoea and the resultant deaths along the Mon State coastline owners of companies involved in the fishing industry have been trying to suppress news of the outbreaks, according to reports.

Junta health authorities have also failed to carry out adequate investigations into the reasons for these outbreaks of diarrhoea or provide adequate medical treatment to those suffering from diarrhoea.