The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has urged the public to strengthen hygiene practices following an increase in diarrhoea and vomiting cases across the Maldives, while advising people experiencing severe symptoms to seek medical attention without delay.
HPA said greater attention should be given to personal hygiene while transmission remains elevated, particularly frequent and thorough handwashing with soap.
The agency advised people to wash their hands carefully after using the toilet and before preparing or handling food. Bathrooms and toilets should also be regularly cleaned and properly sanitised to reduce the risk of infection spreading between household members.
Diarrhoea and vomiting can result from a range of gastrointestinal infections, some of which can spread easily through contaminated food and water, unclean surfaces or direct contact with an infected person.
HPA identifies warning signs requiring medical attention
While many cases can be managed with adequate rest and hydration, HPA warned that certain symptoms should not be ignored.
The agency advised seeking prompt medical attention if diarrhoea is accompanied by frequent vomiting, severe weakness, difficulty taking sufficient fluids, dizziness, excessive thirst or severe abdominal pain.
Blood appearing in vomit or stool is another warning sign requiring medical assessment, while significantly reduced urination can indicate that a person is becoming dehydrated.
Dehydration is one of the main concerns associated with prolonged diarrhoea and vomiting because the body can rapidly lose both water and essential salts.
HPA therefore advised people experiencing diarrhoea to drink plenty of fluids, including oral rehydration solution (ORS), water and soup, to replace what is being lost.
The latest warning follows a separate awareness message from HPA highlighting the importance of ORS during diarrhoeal illness. The agency advises preparing ORS by mixing one packet with one litre of clean water, with the prepared solution to be used within 24 hours.
Children require particular attention during gastrointestinal illness because dehydration can develop more quickly, making it important for parents and caregivers to monitor fluid intake and changes in a child’s condition.
Children with symptoms should remain home from school
HPA has also issued guidance aimed at limiting transmission in schools and workplaces.
Parents have been asked not to send children experiencing diarrhoea or vomiting to school. Even after the symptoms stop, children should remain at home until they have been completely symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
The same advice applies to adults, with those experiencing symptoms asked to remain away from work until at least 24 hours after they have fully recovered.
Keeping symptomatic individuals at home can help reduce transmission in environments where people remain in close contact for extended periods, particularly schools and workplaces.
Food hygiene is also especially important during periods when gastrointestinal illnesses are circulating. Washing hands before food preparation, maintaining clean preparation areas and preventing contamination between raw and prepared foods can help reduce the likelihood of infection.
The Maldives’ dispersed geography and frequent movement between islands also make early prevention and public awareness important when communicable illnesses begin increasing.
HPA has not specified the number of cases recorded or identified a particular pathogen responsible for the current increase in its latest advisory.
For now, the agency is urging the public to focus on basic preventive measures, particularly frequent handwashing with soap, careful hygiene, adequate hydration and staying home when experiencing symptoms.
Anyone developing severe symptoms, signs of dehydration, blood in the stool or vomit, or difficulty maintaining adequate fluid intake should seek medical advice promptly.
