Outbreaks due to natural disasters
The risk of a communicable disease outbreak following a natural disaster is dependant upon:
- The size, health status and living conditions of the population displaced by the disaster
- Disruptions to infrastructure such as hydro
- Inadequate water and sanitation
- Poor access to health services
Increased risk of communicable disease transmission characteristic to sudden population displacement are:
Waterborne diseases
Waterborne diseases are generally spread through consuming contaminated water but are also transmitted by skin and mucous membranes coming in contact with water, mud and damp vegetation contaminated by rodents in search of higher ground.
Diseases associated with crowding
- Measles: Dependant on baseline vaccination especially among children under five
- Meningitis: Transmitted from person to person
- Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI): From lack of access to health services and to antibiotics
Vector-borne diseases
Vector borne diseases are transmitted by insect and animal bites, most commonly by mosquitoes. After a natural disaster, public health may becomes vulnerable to vector borne diseases due to increased exposure to mosquitoes and animals, changes in the habitat which promotes insect breeding and interruptions to routine vector and disease control activities.
Vector borne diseases reported in BC include:
- Lyme disease
- Relapsing Fever
- Q Fever
- Cat-Scratch disease
- Tularemia
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- West Nile virus
Last Updated: November 1, 2011