Post-Typhoons Philippines - What Could Be the Infectious Disease Aftermath?
We all saw the footage, people wading through the massive flooding and damage, people displaced from their homes.
After two typhoons, over 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands of people homeless it is typical that medical and public health officials will be busy treating patients for a variety of diseases in the days and weeks after the natural disaster occurs.
What could be the infectious disease aftermath of "Ondoy" and "Parma"? During natural disasters like typhoons and flooding, most deaths occur due to trauma and drowning.
But shortly after the initial damage, problems will be in provisions of clean water, sanitation, shelter, displacement and health care provisions.
The first thing to look at will be waterborne diseases.
Diarrheal diseases are the number one cause of illness and death in emergencies like typhoons and hurricanes that produce massive flooding.
Inadequate quality and quantity of water, substandard and insufficient sanitation facilities and overcrowding are the problems.
Common sources of diarrheal disease (bacterial, parasitic or viral) outbreaks are polluted drinking water sources (from contaminated surface waters getting into incompletely sealed wells), shared water containers, water that is stored and contaminated by focally soiled hands and contaminated foods.
In the aftermath of Katrina (US) it was noted that there were increases in norovirus, Salmonella, and strains of cholera in the evacuees.
Leptospirosis, which is endemic in the Philippines, may be a health issue in the weeks following the typhoons.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted by contact with animal-urine contaminated water.
Flooding facilitates the spread of the organism, because of the amount and proximity of rodents to humans on shared higher ground.
It may be several weeks before symptoms appear before we know if this disease is an issue.
Then of course there are the infectious diseases from overcrowding.
When people are displaced from their homes and end up in crowded situations, many disease outbreaks can occur, particularly respiratory transmitted diseases.
Case in point, in the Philippines in 1991 after the eruption of Mt.
Pinatubo where many people were displaced, an outbreak of 18,000 cases of measles occurred.
And lastly are the vectorborne diseases which may not rear their ugly head for weeks.
After the flooding post-hurricane or typhoon, the water usually washes away the existing mosquito breeding sites, however standing water caused by heavy rainfall and river overflows will create new breeding sites.
This can cause an increase in the vector population and disease transmission potential.
In addition, with the overcrowding due to displaced people who may be infected or susceptible to malaria or dengue fever could be a real problem.
Dengue fever, which is already an increasing problem in the Philippines, could possibly get worse.
It'll take several weeks to see if there are increases in vectorborne diseases.
Let's take a moment to pray for the people in the Philippines affected by these massive storms and if you can donate to the relief, check the various relief agencies on how you can help.
After two typhoons, over 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands of people homeless it is typical that medical and public health officials will be busy treating patients for a variety of diseases in the days and weeks after the natural disaster occurs.
What could be the infectious disease aftermath of "Ondoy" and "Parma"? During natural disasters like typhoons and flooding, most deaths occur due to trauma and drowning.
But shortly after the initial damage, problems will be in provisions of clean water, sanitation, shelter, displacement and health care provisions.
The first thing to look at will be waterborne diseases.
Diarrheal diseases are the number one cause of illness and death in emergencies like typhoons and hurricanes that produce massive flooding.
Inadequate quality and quantity of water, substandard and insufficient sanitation facilities and overcrowding are the problems.
Common sources of diarrheal disease (bacterial, parasitic or viral) outbreaks are polluted drinking water sources (from contaminated surface waters getting into incompletely sealed wells), shared water containers, water that is stored and contaminated by focally soiled hands and contaminated foods.
In the aftermath of Katrina (US) it was noted that there were increases in norovirus, Salmonella, and strains of cholera in the evacuees.
Leptospirosis, which is endemic in the Philippines, may be a health issue in the weeks following the typhoons.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted by contact with animal-urine contaminated water.
Flooding facilitates the spread of the organism, because of the amount and proximity of rodents to humans on shared higher ground.
It may be several weeks before symptoms appear before we know if this disease is an issue.
Then of course there are the infectious diseases from overcrowding.
When people are displaced from their homes and end up in crowded situations, many disease outbreaks can occur, particularly respiratory transmitted diseases.
Case in point, in the Philippines in 1991 after the eruption of Mt.
Pinatubo where many people were displaced, an outbreak of 18,000 cases of measles occurred.
And lastly are the vectorborne diseases which may not rear their ugly head for weeks.
After the flooding post-hurricane or typhoon, the water usually washes away the existing mosquito breeding sites, however standing water caused by heavy rainfall and river overflows will create new breeding sites.
This can cause an increase in the vector population and disease transmission potential.
In addition, with the overcrowding due to displaced people who may be infected or susceptible to malaria or dengue fever could be a real problem.
Dengue fever, which is already an increasing problem in the Philippines, could possibly get worse.
It'll take several weeks to see if there are increases in vectorborne diseases.
Let's take a moment to pray for the people in the Philippines affected by these massive storms and if you can donate to the relief, check the various relief agencies on how you can help.
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