SAN DIEGO — Doctors in the South Bay say they're seeing an unprecedented amount of people getting sick.
They suspect sewage is to blame.
The number of people coming in is up 200% already since the January 22 storm. With more rain in the forecast they say they expect to to see more cases in the days ahead.
“Our big concern here is, is this the next Flint, Michigan?," said Dr. Matthew Dickson with South Bay Urgent Care.
Dr. Kimberly Dickson is also concerned.
“When we started noticing that, sewage in the water, people were getting sick – we started raising the red flag and saying this isn’t okay," she said.
Data shows there’s a direct correlation between massive sewage flows from the Tijuana river valley after heavy rain and an increased number of sick people.
Studies show the contamination is not just in the water but also in the air.
“It’s very concerning that we don’t have healthy air. We don’t have healthy water. Why is this being ignored? Is it because where we’re located? Down here close the border. Would this be ignored in other communities?," questioned Dr. Kimberly Dickson.
Both doctors have been tracking the data since last year. They say after every storm, they see an influx of patients with gastrointestinal illnesses.
Symptoms include abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes bloody stools.
“Now when it rains, there's sewage in the water. People get sick. We know that pattern. That's the known, but what about the unknown?," added Dr. Kimberly Dickson.
They say what’s even more concerning is the unknown possible long-term implications of the pollution to our health.
“Long term exposure to the pesticides to the chemicals to the heavy metals to the hydrogen sulfide gases from the sewer," she said. "It should have been solved a long time ago. The fact that that isn't solved is concerning and shame on the government. I mean, we should not be allowed to have an open sewer system running into our community down here."
“Are we going to see a lot of serious medical problems, dementia, leukemias, cancers, are those all going to present in the next 20-30 years from exposures," questioned Dr. Matthew Dickson. "I'm so worried of all these chemicals, heavy metals, they're in the water in the air. We're driving through we're walking in, that we're being exposed to and the long term effects of this. That is the big scary thing."
It can take between one to ten days for symptoms to show up. Doctors urge the community to wash their hands as often as possible and avoid getting in the water at all costs.
They also urge the government to step up and find a way to stop more sewage from spilling into communities.
Just this week, Governor Newsom urged congress to approve funding for Tijuana River sewage treatment.
A delegation of local leaders, including Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, are in Capitol Hill to raise awareness about cross-border pollution.
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