Due to a diarrhea outbreak in Kyaikkhami, in the Thanbyuzayat Township of Mon State, six fishermen have died, and more than 15 other fishermen are currently receiving medical treatment, according to sources close to the Township Health Department.

The outbreak started in the first week of September on fishing boats and rafts in the Kyaikkhami sea, with one fisherman from each of four boats dying by September 10, and two more fishermen passing away on September 14, according to a source close to the Township Health Department.

The source added, “More than 15 fishermen are being treated for diarrhea at Kyaikkhami Hospital. Additionally, over 80 fishermen are under observation.”

Moreover, some patients suffering from diarrhea are receiving medical treatment at the Thanbyuzayat Township People’s Hospital.

All restaurants and food stalls in Kyaikkhami have been ordered to close for 10 days starting from September 13, as directed by the Ministry of Health.

Currently, the Township Health Department and the Red Cross are conducting awareness programs regarding diarrhea in Kyaikkhami and surrounding villages. They are also carrying out sanitation efforts such as spraying medicine and adding chlorine to wells and ponds in fishing areas where the disease has spread, as well as on boats returning from the sea.

Health officials suspect that the diarrhea outbreak was caused by contaminated drinking water and ice transported to the fishing boats and rafts.