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Pneumonia cases following an EF-5 tornado
Abstract
Infections following a natural disaster such as an EF-5 tornado can be atypical and difficult to treat. Studies have looked at illness following several natural disasters, but few have studied respiratory illness following a tornado.
A review of patients with pneumonia admitted during the period from May 22, 2009, through May 21, 2012, was completed. The Tornado Zone Group included adult patients who lived or worked in the tornado zone during the year following the tornado. Data were isolated by number of pneumonia cases within and outside the tornado zone per month per year.
An analysis of variance comparing the number of pneumonia cases from the tornado zone per month per year was significant at F2,38 = 12.93 and P < .001, with increased cases in the Tornado Zone Group (P < .05). A t test comparing age of pneumonia patients found Tornado Zone patients to be younger than controls (t390 = 5.14; P < .01). Microbes isolated from the Tornado Zone Group included uncommon pathogens not isolated during the 2 years prior.
The number of pneumonia cases may increase following tornadoes. Although current guidelines recommend narrow-spectrum antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia, results of this study suggest the possible need for broader antimicrobial coverage after tornadoes.
Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
... Among the decedents of the Funing tornado, one old man died from myocardial infarction due to the shock over the death of his wife, which may suggest that chronic illness can be exacerbated by disasters, especially for older persons who are more susceptible to adverse effects of both psychological and physical stress caused by disasters because of higher rates of chronic illnesses [19]. Myocardial infarction, stroke, and pneumonia were shown to increase post-tornado in previous events [20,21]. Sometimes, survivors without immediate surgical needs but with potential life-threatening medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular or respiratory diseases) may not always receive best management, despite the availability of drugs and resources. ...
(1) Background: Tornadoes are one of the deadliest disasters but their health impacts in China are poorly investigated. This study aimed to assess the public health risks and impact of an EF-4 tornado outbreak in Funing, China; (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis on the characteristics of tornado-related deaths and injuries was conducted based on the database from the Funing’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Funing People’s Hospital. A change-point time-series analysis of weekly incidence for the period January 2010 to September 2016 was used to identify sensitive infectious diseases to the tornado; (3) Results: The 75 to 84 years old group was at the highest risk of both death (RR = 82.16; 95% CIs = 19.66, 343.33) and injury (RR = 31.80; 95% CI = 17.26, 58.61), and females were at 53% higher risk of death than males (RR = 1.53; 95% CIs = 1.02, 2.29). Of the 337 injuries, 274 injuries (81%) were minor. Most deaths occurred indoors (87%) and the head (74%) was the most frequent site of trauma during the tornado. Five diseases showed downward change-points; (4) Conclusions: The experience of the Funing tornado underscores the relative danger of being indoors during a tornado and is successful in avoiding epidemics post-tornado. Current international safety guidelines need modification when generalized to China.
Natural and human-made disasters can cause tremendous physical damage, societal change, and suffering. In addition to their effects on people, disasters have been shown to alter the microbial population in the area affected. Alterations for microbial populations can lead to new ecological interactions, with additional potentially adverse consequences for many species, including humans. Disaster-related stressors can be powerful forces for microbial selection. Studying microbial adaptation in disaster sites can reveal new biological processes, including mechanisms by which some microbes could become pathogenic and others could become beneficial (e.g., used for bioremediation). Here we survey examples of how disasters have affected microbiology and suggest that the topic of "disaster microbiology" is itself a new field of study. Given the accelerating pace of human-caused climate change and the increasing encroachment of the natural word by human activities, it is likely that this area of research will become increasingly relevant to the broader field of microbiology. Since disaster microbiology is a broad term open to interpretation, we propose criteria for what phenomena fall under its scope. The basic premise is that there must be a disaster that causes a change in the environment, which then causes an alteration to microbes (either a physical or biological adaptation), and that this adaptation must have additional ramifications.
This chapter provides an overview of morbidity and mortality trends associated with a wide range of disasters, including physical as well as mental health effects, that have been documented within and beyond the U.S. The chapter begins with an introduction to morbidity, mortality, and related concepts within the disciplines of public health and epidemiology. The chapter then provides an overview of social vulnerability to disaster morbidity and mortality, which provides a useful lens for understanding and interpreting patterns. Next, morbidity and mortality findings for each of a variety of hazard types are presented, along with data from specific disaster events. Finally, the chapter considers the case of psychological injury and other mental health effects of disasters, followed by a brief discussion of methodological concerns. Concluding remarks summarize overall trends and patterns in disaster related death and injury, and outline future research needs.
The link between natural disasters and subsequent fungal infections in disaster-affected persons has been increasingly recognized. Fungal respiratory conditions associated with disasters include coccidioidomycosis, and fungi are among several organisms that can cause near-drowning pneumonia. Wound contamination with organic matter can lead to post-disaster skin and soft tissue fungal infections, notably mucormycosis. The role of climate change in the environmental growth, distribution, and dispersal mechanisms of pathogenic fungi is not fully understood; however, ongoing climate change could lead to increased disaster-associated fungal infections. Fungal infections are an often-overlooked clinical and public health issue, and increased awareness by health care providers, public health professionals, and community members regarding disaster-associated fungal infections is needed.
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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.
As the world population expands, an increasing number of people are living in areas which may be threatened by natural disasters. Most of these major natural disasters occur in the Asian region. Pulmonary complications are common following natural disasters and can result from direct insults to the lung or may be indirect, secondary to overcrowding and the collapse in infrastructure and health-care systems which often occur in the aftermath of a disaster. Delivery of health care in disaster situations is challenging and anticipation of the types of clinical and public health problems faced in disaster situations is crucial when preparing disaster responses. In this article we review the pulmonary effects of natural disasters in the immediate setting and in the post-disaster aftermath and we discuss how this could inform planning for future disasters.
A recent surge in the general awareness of the extent of disasters has increased concern over the adequacy of our state of preparedness for these events. Outbreaks of infectious disease after a disaster may have significant societal impacts. In preparation, rescuers must anticipate and identify infectious risks, isolate and treat the individuals with infections, and institute measures that will prevent the further spread of infectious diseases. Epidemiological factors may contribute to the spread of infectious disease after a given disaster. A simple microbiological laboratory in the field may be helpful in attempting to direct therapy at specific infectious etiologies. Prior post-disaster experience suggests that mass immunization may not always be valuable in protecting against disease spread acutely, although immunizations may be considered in a limited number of situations. Disaster medical personnel should prepare themselves with appropriate vaccinations and remain in good health; new pathogens must not be brought in by well-meaning relief personnel. Disasters often occur in a Third-World setting where resources are limited and often compromised. Complete recovery from infectious disease outbreaks and restoration of infection control practices may take years when a Third-World population has suffered a major disaster.
It seems reasonable to expect that infections will occur after certain types of disasters. There are some data to support this conjecture in studies of tornadoes, hurricanes, and mass trauma situations. We have tried to extrapolate from these data what we believe will be the infectious effects of different types of disasters, taking into account the potential for alteration in the host secondary to injury, the modification of living conditions, and the possibility of the disruption of medical care.
Infections are a frequent consequence of natural disasters. Repatriated victims may require hospital care due to multiple fractures, pneumonia or wound infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens that require specific infection control measures. To address potential pitfalls of infection control and clinical care in repatriated patients, we sought to provide microbiological insight into the possible origins of multi-drug antibiotic resistance in survivors of natural disasters. A review of the medical literature was performed from 1986 to 2006 with an emphasis on the 2004 tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean. After natural disasters, polymicrobial infections may occur following heavy inoculation during trauma. Multi-resistant Gram-negative pathogens are more prevalent than Gram-positive bacteria. A high incidence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria and difficult-to-treat fungal infections in otherwise immunocompetent hosts may challenge routine hospital care. We recommend that survivors of natural disasters should be kept in pre-emptive contact isolation during air transport and hospitalisation until the results of all microbiological cultures become available. A meticulous diagnostic work-up is necessary upon admission and empiric antibiotic treatment should be avoided. Infections may also become manifest after several weeks of hospitalisation. In case of life-threatening infection, antibiotic therapy should cover non-fermenting pathogens.