Health risks mount as Greece recovers from Daniel Storm

According to the Kathimerini daily, officials are closely monitoring visits to medical facilities in storm-hit areas to detect any outbreaks of infectious diseases. Deputy Health Minister Eirini Agapidaki revealed a sharp increase in the number of patients seeking treatment in Larissa, Magnesia, Trikala, and Karditsa. Diagnoses included 48 cases of gastroenteritis and 65 respiratory infections in just two days—a significant jump from before the storm. Given the widespread flooding, scientists are closely monitoring these illnesses. They expect more data on mosquito activity next week, while experts at the National Blood Donor Center remain vigilant.

At the same time, the fire department reported that most roads in the hard-hit areas of Larissa, Karditsa, and Trikala are now passable, except for the route between Trikala and Larissa. "We are trying to restore access to Larissa," spokesman Giannis Artopoios said. Parts of the main Athens-Thessaloniki highway and rail lines are also still disrupted by the flooding. To date, emergency crews have carried out more than 4,500 rescue operations and delivered vital supplies by land and sea.

In addition to infrastructure damage, public broadcaster ERT reported the collapse of a two-way bridge in eastern Thessaly. The bridge, built in the 1980s, had been closed earlier due to flooding from the hurricane.

In another tragic update, authorities are awaiting DNA test results to identify a man and woman found on Mount Pelion. They may be related to the Austrian couple who disappeared in the floods. The woman's body was found on August 8 and the man's on September 13. It could take 20 days to identify the bodies. The Austrian couple had been staying in a villa that was destroyed in the floods.

*Photo: Kathimerini