4 health hazards of SZ's sticky thunderstorm season

The air of Shenzhen now feels like a soaked sponge — moist, sticky, and oppressively warm. According to the city’s meteorological authority, heat and high humidity, with frequent thunderstorms and even nonstop rain, may persist until late May. This kind of weather is not just a discomfort but an ideal nursery for four health hazards.

People enjoy the summer time at the Splendid China Chinese Folk Culture Villages in Nanshan District. Sun Yuchen

Dengue fever

Also known as the “breakbone fever,” dengue fever thrives in stagnant water at temperatures between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. The stealthy Asian tiger mosquito is the primary culprit, breeding rapidly after rainfall.

Symptoms: Those bitten suffer high fevers, splitting headaches, rashes and painful joints — to the point of feeling their bones might snap.

Defense: Flush out the watch caches in vases and buckets every few days, seal windows with tight screens, and spray safe insecticide under plants and behind curtains. When outside, dress light-colored, long sleeves clothing with repellant in hand.

Response: Seek medical help immediately, stay hydrated, rest, and avoid more bites.

Gastrointestinal infection

The humid heat speeds up food decomposition, turning leftovers and cold dishes into battlegrounds for vile invaders like Salmonella and E. coli.

Symptoms: vomiting, severe diarrhea, abdominal agony, dehydration.

Defense: The fridge isn’t a magical shield — leftovers must be eaten within a day. Raw and cooked foods never mingle, and fruits must be washed before first bite. Avoid oily and spicy food, keep stomachs warm when inside air-conditioned rooms, and keep handy salt and powders for emergency rehydration.

Response: Symptoms hit fast and hard. Visit doctors immediately when in doubt, especially with fever.

Fungal skin disease

Also known as the dreaded “athlete’s foot army,” it thrives in the wet dance floors of gyms and pools. The culprit is simple: sticky humidity and shared slippers that turned public places into fungal highways.

Symptoms: Itchy, peeling toes oozing with pus, sensations like ants crawling beneath the skin.

Defense: Wear breathable cotton socks and shoes, daily changes and sun drying. Disinfect bathroom weekly, and never share personal items.

Response: If infection struck, treat the whole family with potent antifungal creams.

Thunderstorm asthma

The seemingly invisible but deadly thunderstorm asthma looms in after storms. When thunder cracks, pollen shatters into microscopic pieces that invade airways, triggering sudden, choking attacks in allergy sufferers, sometimes fatally.

Defense: Seal windows and doors tight during storms, and turn on air purifiers. Take preventative medicine and carry inhalers ready to defuse attacks. Rinse nasal passages with saline to clear residual pollen after any outdoor activity.