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Tsunamis: Water Quality

A tsunami creates a surge of ocean water that can sometimes cover large areas or land. As the ocean
water comes onto land, drinking water wells can become covered and contaminated (filled) with
microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites) and chemicals that can affect the health of humans .
Salt from the sea does not quickly create problems for our health.
Because of the unpleasant (bad) taste of saltwater, most people will not ingest (swallow) a large
enough amount to cause health problems. However, disease-causing microorganisms spread by the
flood do not normally create a strong taste. If water with disease-causing microorganisms is
swallowed, even in small amounts, it may cause life-threatening health problems such as chronic
diarrhea (pooping) and serious infections. Using contaminated (dirty)water to clean small cuts and
open injuries also create the problem of serious infections.

After a tsunami, people in affected areas should listen for public announcements on the radio about
the safety of the water supply. Flooded private wells will need to be tested and disinfected after flood
waters leave.
Water for Drinking, Cooking, and Personal Hygiene
Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water.
After a tsunami, water sources may be contaminated with saltwater. Your local authorities can make
specific recommendations for boiling or treating water in your area.

http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/waterquality.asp

What works and doesn't in disaster health response


May 1st, 2015 by Richard Bissell And Thomas Kirsch, The Conversation in Earth / Earth Sciences
On Saturday, April 24 2015, a major (Magnitude 7.8) earthquake hit Nepal shortly after midday.
Long-expected by seismologists (a scientist that studies earthquakes), this large earthquake has left
many of the older structures (buildings) in this mountainous and economically challenged country
of 31 million people in ruins. It has also released avalanches affecting mountain climbers from all
over the world.
As is the case of many mountain communities in developing countries throughout the world, Nepal
is a country that faces problems such as: a place where earthquakes are common, they have
problems with landslides and avalanches because of the mountains, and they do not have the best
resources to construct earthquake-resistant structures. The country's poverty (poor people) also
means that it will need help from other people around the world in order to rebuild and keep people
safe.
At the moment, the most important question is how can the global community best respond? What
can and what should international relief teams be prepared to do when responding to such an event?
People are working now in order to decide what the people in Nepal need. They are trying to predict
what kinds of rescue, health, food and shelter needs the people will need now and in the future.
Earthquakes have caused buildings to collapse, trapping people and causing massive amounts of
injury. This was the case in the 2010 Haiti earthquake and now in Nepal. Fallen buildings make
immediate search and rescue efforts important to saving lives. The homes ans shelters that people
were living in get destroyed, which causes people to sleep outside. It is difficult for help from other
countries to arrive in these locations because of damaged roads, bridges, and buildings.
One large problem that they are facing are diseases because of different microbes. People are at risk
of getting sick because earthquakes can damage or destroy sanitation systems. Sanitation systems
are helpful for cleaning water for people to use for drinking and cooking. The earthquakes cause
problems to the environment and can change the way people live. Diseases or germs start to spread
through water, bugs, food, and can be passed on by people.

Source: The Conversation


This story is published courtesy of The Conversation (under Creative Commons-Attribution/No
derivatives).
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/27/nepal-earthquake-authorities-struggle-tocope-despite-international-aid-efforts

Public Health Concerns in the Aftermath of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
The March/April print and online
editions of PA TIMES
K. Y. Williams, David Milen, Traci Foster, Matthew Lloyd Collins, and Mark Gordon
The March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the island nation of Japan taking over
10,000 lives and leaving over 17,000 missing. After this terrible event, many survivors continue to
have problems with environmental and health hazards. The citizens of the area must be aware of
problems that will affect the health of all living things in the environment.
People face many problems because they have lost power in homes and buildings. They no longer
have access to telephones and internet, which keeps them from communicating with others. This
makes it difficult for people to get in touch with emergency response teams when they are hurt or
sick. Citizens have to figure out how to get their friends and family who are sick or injured to safety
by carrying them or finding other types of transportation.
Another problem that the people of Japan have faced is a short supply of food and water. Many of
the food sources have been contaminated (infected) with microorganisms. Their food, water, milk,
cheese, eggs, vegetables are at risk of being filled with pathogens or germs. The citizens have to be
aware of how to clean they food, get clean water, and throw away bad food.
When the tsunami hit Japan, a lot of water covered the land. With such a big amount of water
moving across the land, trash, gas, soil, bacteria and other microorganisms spread. People have
been told to not drink the water or to take a bath in the water because of the risk of illness. Many
different pathogens have quickly spread because of this natural disaster and people have gotten very
sick.

http://patimes.org/public-health-concerns-in-the-aftermath-of-the-japanese-earthquake-tsunamiand-the-fukushima-reactor-breach/

Nepal Survivors At Risk


Thousands of survivors from Nepal are at risk of another catastrophe (tragedy or problem) after a
magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the South Asian country on April 25.
As the hurt and the hungry crowd makeshift shelters, food and water become hard to get; people are
living in dirty environments, and life on the streets makes the perfect place for for diseases other
microbes to grow.
Dengue fever, malaria and Japanese encephalitis: All three are already in the country, and pools of
standing water from the earthquake will attract mosquitoes to transmit (carry) the illnesses.
That water, and other sources being used for drinking, is contaminated (infected), according to
medical expert Dr. Nikhil Joshi, who is returning to Nepal in June to help survivors.
"There will be water-borne diseases like typhoid fever and things like bacterial diarrhea could be
another huge problem," he said while speaking to the CBC's Marcy Markusa on Information Radio.
That is, when there is water at all.
"There's a straight up lack of [it] ... So, that causes dehydration (when people dont have water to
drink), and you can die of dehydration," Joshi said.
Tuberculosis is a big problem in Nepal,
according to Joshi, and spreads quickly
through coughing and spit.
Cholera crop graphic
According to Dr. Joshi, cholera is an
infection that may become a problem in
Nepal following the April 25 earthquake.
This graphic, created by Corinne
Rikkelman for CBC News, illustrates that
cholera is transmitted when the cholera
bacterium, enters the human body
through contaminated (dirty or infected)
water. The bacteria keeps the human
intestines or stomach from absorbing
water. Diarhhea and dehydration result,
and if left untreated, the infection can be
deadly. (Corinne Rikkelman for CBC
News)

On Friday, the quake's death toll hit 6,260 (including those who died on Mount Everest). People are
worried that more people will die because of the microorganisms that are spreading.
"Put a bunch of people together who are sick, tired and malnourished and you've got a serious
problem," Joshi said.
"Sadly, this isn't unique. After an epidemic or large spread of pathogens, we often see outbreaks of
infectious diseases."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/disease-outbreak-could-claim-more-lives-in-nepalthan-earthquake-medical-expert-1.3058592

Nepal Earthquake: Authorities Struggle to Cope Despite International Aid


Efforts
The Nepal government says it is overwhelmed with people asking for help across the country, as
everything from doctors and nurses to electricity remain in short supply.

A Nepalese family collects belongings from their home destroyed in Saturday's earthquake, in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of
Kathmandu.

A huge international aid (help) operation is being put together to help the victims of the earthquake
in Nepal. The earthquake has caused tens of thousands of people to be homeless and has raised fears
of food and medicine shortages and an increased risk of waterborne and infectious diseases.
As the death toll from Saturdays earthquake passed 4,000, the Nepalese government said it was
struggling to cope with the results of the disaster. The government is having a problem with
reaching people in small towns outside of the city.
We are overwhelmed with rescue and assistance requests from all across the country, said Deepak
Panda, a member of the countrys disaster management group for the government.
Lila Mani Poudyal, the governments chief secretary and the rescue organizer, asked for more help
from the international community, saying Nepal was short of everything from paramedics (medical
help) to electricity.
We are asking for tents, dry goods and food, blankets, mattresses, and 80 different medicines ...
that we really need now, he told reporters. We dont have the helicopters that we need or the
knowledge we need to safely rescue the people trapped.
Hospital beds in Kathmandu are already full, which is causing other sick and injured people to seek
help and treatment in the street. Thousands of homeless survivors whose homes were destroyed or
are in big danger of collapsing after being weakened by the 7.8-magnitude quake.
The UN World Food Programm said on Monday that it was planning a massive operation and had
pulled together all its food stocks on the region, while the World Health Organization said it had

already sent medical supplies to cover the health needs of more than 40,000 people for three
months in the country.
The UN childrens agency, Unicef, said at least 940,000 Nepalese children are in urgent need of
human assistance, adding that those left homeless by the earthquake were in trouble.
There have been reports of limited supplies of water and food because they are running out, no
electricity, and no communication networks, it said in a statement.
Hundreds of thousands of people spent the night sleeping in open areas, out of fear of more
tremors (smaller earthquakes). Heavy rain is now also reported which can make the conditions
worse. This crisis leaves children particularly in trouble because of smaller access to safe water and
sanitation (cleanliness) will put children at great risk from waterborne diseases, while some children
may have become separated from their families.
With so many people sleeping in the open with no power or water and heavy rains in the future,
there were fears of large food and water shortages (not enough food).
There is no electricity, no water. Our main challenge and priority is to turn back on electricity and
water, Dhakal said. The next big challenge is the supply of food. Shopkeepers are unable to go in
and open their shops. So people are facing difficulty buying food.
The British government, which has pledged 5m to help support Nepal, said it would send a plane to
Nepal carrying a team of engineers to help rebuild, more than 1,100 shelter kits for tents, and over
1,700 solar lanterns.
India flew in medical supplies and people of its disaster response team, while China sent a 60 person
emergency team. Pakistans army said it was sending four planes with 30 hospital beds, search-andrescue teams and supplies.
The earthquake Nepals worst in more than 80 years has left thousands sleeping in the open
while authorities battle against time to rescue anyone still alive beneath the rubble. There are 28
million people living in Nepal and there are not enough doctors or hospitals to help all of the people
that are in need. Nepal is now thinking that they do not have a strong enough hospital system to
help everyone when a disaster occurs.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/27/nepal-earthquake-authorities-struggle-to-copedespite-international-aid-efforts

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