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Back to Infectious Disease Articles
Thursday 15th September, 2005
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Diseases such as typhoid or cholera, are unlikely to break out after floods
in areas where they do not naturally occur.
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Washington, DC--September 13, 2005--In the wake of Katrina, the
public health threats from infectious diseases in hurricane-devastated
areas are more likely to come from milder, more common infections rather
than exotic diseases. These common infections can often be prevented
using simple hygiene measures and a little common sense.
"Deadly diseases, such as typhoid or cholera, are unlikely to break
out after hurricanes and floods in areas where these diseases do not
already naturally occur," says Ruth Berkelman, MD, Chair of the Public
and Scientific Affairs Board of the American Society for Microbiology.
"The greatest threats to the people in the affected areas are going to
be from diseases that were already there."
Dr. Berkelman is the Rollins Professor and Director of the Center for
Public Health Preparedness and Research at the Rollins School of Public
Health at Emory University. She is a former Assistant Surgeon General of
the United States and former deputy director of the CDC's National
Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
Common infectious disease problems in New Orleans in the coming weeks
are likely to be skin and soft-tissue infections, most likely from cuts,
abrasions and wounds. The primary culprits will be Staphylococcus and
Streptococcus bacteria, both of which can generally be treated with
available antibiotics. Diseases caused by consumption of contaminated
food or water as well as diseases caused by mosquitoes or other insect
bites are also a threat.
Vibrio vunificus can also cause serious infections, either wound
infections or blood poisoning (septicemia); V. vulnificus is a bacterium
that is normally present in Gulf Coast waters and is usually contracted
by eating tainted seafood. It is primarily a threat to people with
weakened immune systems or liver dysfunction. The CDC has confirmed 15
infections with V. vulnificus, 3 of which were fatal. These cases have
occurred in areas other than New Orleans where the water has greater
salinity.
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Another concern is diarrhea and gastrointestinal illnesses from the
flood waters. Short bouts of diarrhea and upset stomachs sometimes occur
after natural disasters and can be caused sewage contamination of the
water. Although at high levels in floodwaters, the E. coli found in New
Orleans is the type commonly associated with fecal contamination and is
not the E. coli H7:O157 strain that can cause serious kidney disease and
bloody diarrhea.
"At this point in time, I think it is just common sense to continue
drinking only bottled water unless authorities have tested the water now
being piped into some facilities and have declared it safe to drink,"
says Berkelman. "To also prevent risk of infection, people should
practice basic hygiene, frequently washing their hands with soap and
clean water or disinfecting hands with an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Individuals should not eat food that has been exposed to flood waters or
that has not been properly refrigerated."
One common misperception is that the body of a person who died as the
result of the hurricane and is still in the city poses a risk of
infection.
"Decaying bodies pose very little risk for major disease outbreaks,"
says Berkelman. Furthermore, mosquitoes do not spread disease by feeding
on dead bodies. There is, however, a risk of mosquito-borne diseases
such as West Nile because mosquitoes breed in standing water.
Appropriate pest management, including addressing the need to get rid of
standing water, is an important public health measure, she said. A
bacterial disease, leptospirosis, may be caused by exposure to water
contaminated by rodent urine and can be treated successfully with
antibiotics.
Over the long term, mold may also pose a threat. Mold growth is an
indicator of excess moisture, and much will need to be done to dry out
New Orleans and clean up mold growth. Some environmental molds can cause
allergic reactions.
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The American Society for Microbiology, headquartered in Washington,
D.C., is the largest single life science association, with 42,000
members worldwide. Its members work in educational, research,
industrial, and government settings on issues such as the environment,
the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, laboratory and
diagnostic medicine, and food and water safety. The ASM's mission is to
gain a better understanding of basic life processes and to promote the
application of this knowledge for improved health and economic and
environmental well-being.
| Article reviewed by: |
Dr. Tamer Fouad, M.D.
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