Infectious diseases following natural disasters: prevention and control measures.

Isidore Kouadio, Syed Aljunid, Taro Kamigaki, Karen Hammad, Hitoshi Oshitani

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    365 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Natural disasters may lead to infectious disease outbreaks when they result in substantial population displacement and exacerbate synergic risk factors (change in the environment, in human conditions and in the vulnerability to existing pathogens) for disease transmission. We reviewed risk factors and potential infectious diseases resulting from prolonged secondary effects of major natural disasters that occurred from 2000 to 2011. Natural disasters including floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, tropical cyclones (e.g., hurricanes and typhoons) and tornadoes have been secondarily described with the following infectious diseases including diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria, leptospirosis, measles, dengue fever, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, meningitis, as well as tetanus and cutaneous mucormycosis. Risk assessment is essential in post-disaster situations and the rapid implementation of control measures through re-establishment and improvement of primary healthcare delivery should be given high priority, especially in the absence of pre-disaster surveillance data.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)95-104
    Number of pages10
    JournalExpert Review of Anti-infective Therapy
    Volume10
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2012

    Keywords

    • communicable diseases
    • control
    • epidemic
    • infectious diseases
    • natural disasters
    • outbreak
    • prevention
    • surveillance

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