Abstract
Purpose of Review:
We aim to highlight the common infectious pathogens that affect evacuees, non-evacuees, and medical responders following hurricanes in the USA, in order to help clinicians quickly diagnose and treat patients and increase medical preparedness in hurricane affected areas.
Recent Findings:
Hurricanes facilitate the spread of infectious pathogens through population displacement, flooding, and trauma. Hurricane shelters create conditions that lead to the spread of infectious pathogens due to overcrowding, resource limitation, and reduced hygiene. The pathogens that tend to spread during hurricanes are often endemic to the hurricane-affected area. Patients with chronic infections, such as HIV and tuberculosis, can experience disruption in medical care during hurricanes.
Summary:
The Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of the USA have experienced many devastating and costly hurricanes in recent history. Hurricanes create conditions that facilitate the spread of endemic infectious pathogens, especially among evacuees and temporary residents of emergency shelters, and can also damage public health infrastructure which can disrupt medical care in patients with chronic infections. In order to mitigate the effects of hurricanes on the spread of infectious diseases, public health workers and clinicians should implement preparedness plans that ensure patients with chronic infections have sufficient supply of their medications in the event that their care is disrupted, patients have copies of their medical records, evacuation centers are appropriately staffed and supplied, infection control protocols are implemented in evacuation centers, and emergency responders are provided with education on potential infectious exposures and have access to protective equipment to minimize the spread of infectious pathogens.
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Shukla, M.A., Woc-Colburn, L. & Weatherhead, J.E. Infectious Diseases in the Aftermath of Hurricanes in the United States. Curr Trop Med Rep 5, 217–223 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-018-0162-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-018-0162-6