DISEASE PREVENTION: HOW TO AVOID A SECONDARY DISASTER

DISEASE PREVENTION: HOW TO AVOID A SECONDARY DISASTER HEALTH Magazine, Winter 2025 Published by the Southwest Utah Public Health Foundation This podcast episode is an AI-generated narration of the HEALTH Magazine article. The full article text is provided below as the official transcript of this episode. Disease Prevention: How To Avoid a Secondary Disaster by Southwest Utah Public Health Epidemiologist Team and Shallen Sterner, Environmental Health Program Manager Narrated by David Heaton using AI-assisted voice.   Disasters like floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes can create major public health challenges. Essential services are disrupted and people can be displaced from their homes. In these conditions, illnesses can spread quickly, posing a serious risk to communities already dealing with the aftermath of a disaster. Respiratory diseases like the flu, tuberculosis, and the common cold spread mainly through droplets in the air that are released when people cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can be inhaled by others nearby, leading to infection, especially in homes or workplaces with poor ventilation or crowded shelters. Touching hard surfaces that have been contaminated with viruses and bacteria from prior contact can also lead to infection if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth afterward. Whether you’re dealing with seasonal flu or a pandemic, preventive measures include: Practicing proper handwashing and use of hand sanitizer. Ensuring good air circulation by opening windows, using fans, or setting up outdoor areas. Isolating sick individuals quickly. Caregivers can protect themselves by wearing an N-95 mask when they need to be within 3-6 feet of the sick person. Getting vaccinated beforehand; immunizations against respiratory diseases now include influenza (flu), pneumonia, RSV, and COVID-19. Animal and insect-borne diseases pose significant health risks in the aftermath of natural disasters. Habitat displacement, standing water, and poor sanitation can increase human contact with rodents, mosquitoes, fleas, flies, lice, and ticks, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Some of these diseases include: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva). West Nile Virus (Spread by mosquitoes; symptoms range from mild fever to severe neurological complications) Malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever (other mosquito-borne diseases that are uncommon in the US but could spread in certain flooding conditions). Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, Q fever, and Lyme disease (tick-spread illnesses). Leptospirosis (spread through water contaminated by animal urine). Plague (transmitted by rodents and fleas). Tularemia (spread via contact with infected animals or insect bites). Rabies (fatal disease from being bitten or scratched by infected bats, raccoons, foxes, and other animals). Prevention strategies include controlling rodents by sealing entry points into buildings, securing stored food, and keeping outdoor areas clean. Clean rodent droppings using protective equipment, especially gloves. Control mosquitoes by draining standing water, using insect repellent, and wearing long sleeves and pants where mosquitoes are common. Check yourself for ticks if you’ve been walking through brushy areas. FOODBORNE ILLNESSES - Perishable foods can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria if not stored properly, leading to foodborne illnesses. To prevent bacterial growth, it's crucial to keep hazardous foods below 41°F. If the power goes out, minimize opening your refrigerator and freezer doors. A closed refrigerator can keep food safe for about four hours without power, while a full freezer can hold its temperature for 24 to 48 hours. Keep appliance thermometers inside to monitor safe temperatures. For extended outages, consider using dry ice or blocks of ice in your refrigerator and freezer to keep temperatures below 41°F. Foods that can become hazardous without the right preparation and storage include dairy, meat, seafood, seed sprouts, cut foods (like tomatoes, lettuce, and melons), and cooked plant foods (like rice, beans, and vegetables). Practice food safety by washing your hands properly, avoiding cross-contamination, keeping preparation areas and utensils clean, and discarding food with doubtful safety. Keep an emergency supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water. By integrating these preventative measures into preparedness plans, families and communities can safeguard public health and recover more effectively from the hidden dangers that accompany natural disasters.