After a Hurricane: Key Facts About Infectious Disease
Although infectious diseases are a frightening prospect, widespread
outbreaks of infectious disease after hurricanes are not common in the United
States. Rare and deadly exotic
diseases, such as cholera or typhoid fever, do not
suddenly break out after hurricanes and floods in areas where such diseases do
not naturally occur.
Communicable disease outbreaks of diarrhea and
respiratory illness can occur when water and sewage systems are not working and
personal hygiene is hard to
maintain as a result of a disaster. However, no disease outbreaks have been
reported as of September 3, 2005 in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
- Decaying bodies create very
little risk for major disease outbreaks.
- Outbreaks of infectious diseases following hurricanes are rare in developed countries (such as the
United States) and only slightly more common in the developing world.
- Numbers of short-term, self-limiting gastrointestinal illnesses and
respiratory infections sometimes increase in developed countries. However,
numbers of communicable diseases (including gastrointestinal and respiratory
illnesses as well as cholera and typhoid) more typically do not increase in either developed
or developing countries.
- Unless a disease is brought into a disaster area from
elsewhere, any outbreaks that occur are almost always from diseases that were
already in the disaster-affected area before the disaster struck.
- Because cholera and typhoid are not commonly found in the U.S. Gulf
States area, it is very unlikely that they would occur after Hurricane
Katrina.
- Communicable disease outbreaks can occur when
sanitation and hygiene are compromised as a result of a disaster.
- As has been the case in past hurricanes, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services quickly sets up tracking systems that
monitor illnesses in hurricane-affected areas. In the unlikely event that a disease outbreak
occurs, these systems provide an early warning that enables prompt public
health response.
Infectious Disease Resources
Insect-related
West Nile Virus
Waterborne Illnesses (Parasitic
Illnesses)
Enteroviruses
Other viruses
Other resources:
Source: Centers for
Disease Control, www.cdc.gov
Last Editorial Review: 9/7/2005
