Via
ProMED-mail:
Doctors on the scene are seeing some cases of diarrhea and skin infections. Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans appeared today on CNN saying that mosquitoes are breeding there and will be feeding on dead bodies and spreading disease. He is wrong; mosquitoes are not attracted to dead bodies, since they feed on blood.
For further information, the following links are provided as a public service:
[1] CDC: After a Hurricane: Key Facts About Infectious Disease
Includes:
- Decaying bodies create very little risk for major disease outbreaks.
- Outbreaks of infectious diseases following hurricanes are rare in developed countries (such as the USA).
- 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.
[2] CDC: Protect Your Health and Safety After a Hurricane
[3] CDC: Interim Guidance for Healthcare Professionals Advising Travelers to Hurricane Affected Areas in the United States This information is current as of 4 Sep 2005, 07:13:00 CDT.
[4] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Physicians and other medical professionals with any state license who can commit to short-term, long-term or rotating coverage are urgently needed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. If you are a healthcare professional interested in volunteering your services to the relief effort, visit the Health Care Professionals and Relief Personnel Volunteer Page to sign up. You can also call (866) 528-6334.