Are we spreading disease with the evacuation?

[Wizard777]

We have large numbers of people that were exposed to contaminated water. God only knows what communicable diseases are lurking in the water. It can be as lonf as 30,60, or 90 days from the time the disease is contracted to the first symptom start to appear. Dirring that time the dieases also being spread. Are aiding teh begining of plauge with thsi evacuation. The evacuees (sorry citizens)need to be gathered into areas that should be considered as Quarentined until the Communicable diseases issue can be resolved in all certainty. WHERE IS WHO AND CDC?

[rooboy]

1. Yes, unfortunately. n/t

[Fridays Child]

2. Here's the CDC's Katrina page...

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.asp

[leftofthedial]

3. yes

the ruling elite want a pandemic to destroy the middle class and working class and significantly depopulate the world so they can rule and the world's resources, which they control. will last longer.

[Roxy66]

8. On the news tonight I saw a map of States that evacuees are headed

to and the northern mid-west states (Republican Strong holds) were curiously left off. The clear answer is those "Christian Evangelist" states care more about fighting Gay marriage than doing truley christian acts....OR, they are trying to knock off all of us liberal heathens (sp)

[Roxy66]

4. You know, I feel horrible thinking in these terms, but I thought

about this same thing tonight. What if a severe communicable disease spead throughout the SuperDome or Convention Center and no one knows about it yet? I know this is a horrible thing to think about right now, but it crossed my mind tonight.

[Erika]

6. It should have crossed the planners minds even earlier n/t

[Wizard777]

18. Biological attack by Mother Nature. This is not a drill!

Am I wrong to think of this in these terms? Do you think DC might be able to comprehend this in these terms. Area's like the superdome help towards getting a handle on this. But there are people being taken in by individuals and families. They all need observation and testing too.

[anarchy1999]

23. You are not alone in your thoughts. Sad to say it myself but I've been

fretting about this more and more over the last couple of days seeing all the footage out of stadiums and conference centers in Baton Rouge, Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio.

I'm worried even though I know we are not to "worry", think positively and all that stuff.

[The Magistrate]

5. Quite Likely, Sir

But there really is no help for it. As a practical matter, the people must be moved. A strict quarantine would be unsupportable as a matter of public policy, since it would strike so many as inhumane and stigmatizing. The initial staging of the evacuees in massive facilities does have a similar effect, for a period of time.

Fears of "begining of plague", though, are quite iver-blown. Most of the things people can pick up in the water of the flood are water-borne, and without flood conditions, and without crowded conditions, are no very commnicable. In places where plumbing, etc., is intact and the ground dry, and people are not cheek to jowl, there is no substantial risk.

[Wizard777]

20. Mr. Magistrate I think you have defined the current milue well.

But frankly the last thing we need now is the politicians delaying the medical response. Even if a couple of them are doctors too. Now that the people are safe from the external threats of hurricane and flooding. We must respond to the internal threat of disease. They must be protected from that microscopic enemy within. It may seems like a small problem now. But if they fail to act properly. In time the results could be huge.

Disease can mutate in nature. They can cross species and change methods of infection. A disease that was a blood bourne contagion can become an air bourne contagion under the right evolutionary conditions. What away to find out Katrina created those conditions. But this is theoretical. We just need to protect against what we know and understand right now. Also hope we don't see something new that we don't understand.

[texanwitch]

7. I was thinking the same thing . I thought the Astro Dome was a good idea

for month or so to make sure the Doctors could keep an eye on them.

[Roxy66]

11. But, it would be impossible to contain, since the evacuees are

headed to nearly every state in the union....except for a few Republican states

[texanwitch]

16. I really don't think some members of our government give a damn

what happens to these people. They had to walk thru that nasty water or be in that Superdome, we are looking at some kind of illness down the line. We have to make sure that they get proper medical care for a long time.

I read the other day that a man had chemical burns on his legs from walking thru the water, how many cases of cancer are we looking at.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Probably not much

The only real disease that has shown up is a form of Vibrio that is the mild cousin to Cholera (Vibrio cholerae). A number of mild pathogens may also be present, but if there's anything serious, we'd probably know about it by now.

Quarantine isn't strictly necessary. Most of the nasty critters can be killed with a standard course of antibiotics.

This isn't to say that we're free and clear. Biosurveillance of the survivors is going to be needed, along with aggressive (and free) health care. While it looks like no serious diseases have shown up in the Gulf Coast, there's no such thing as 100% safe.

There is also a likelihood of widespread intestinal worm infestations. Having worms isn't all that horrible unless it's untreated, but it's still a problem.

The big problem that will be arriving in a few days is insect infestation. Mosquitos and flies, mainly. Each can carry disease; mosquitos proliferate in standing water, and flies incubate in corpses. Mosquitos incubate for an average of 12 days (10-14), and most flies incubate for 3 to 6 weeks depending on temperature. Most other insects that carry disease have an incubation period of a week to a month.

Something to look forward to, right?

--p!

[preciousdove]

10. Do you always wash YOUR hands?

This is not 1913. Don't beg trouble. We have antibiotics and antivirals. You would probably be more at risk walking into any daycare.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Roxy66]

13. Probably....I wouldnt put it past Rove or any of those criminals

[Wizard777]

14. I hope this doesn't turn out to be the governments NEXT failure

to the victims (sorry Citizens) and those who are trying to care for and help them.

[sandnsea]

15. And by dumping water into the gulf?

Not much we can do about the people, but dumping that diseased water into the gulf, I fear that's the next big disaster. I sure hope not.

[Tyranny_R_US]

17. Face it we're fucked because of this...

:cry:

[texanwitch]

19. I live 50 mile from the Gulf of Mexico and I wouldn't eat anything out it

or walk or swim in it.

[Wizard777]

21. I SAW the EPA and CDC on MSNBC today.

My concerns are reduced. But not aleviated. There is more work to be done by their account. I find their honesty to be refreshing and trust promoting.

[momisold]

22. In the short term

KHOU in Houston is reporting this:

"The medical volunteers were extremely busy at the Astrodome Wednesday. Of the evacuees there, some 500 cases reported of the norovirus, which doctors are also referring to as a stomach virus."
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou050907_gj_astrodome.34d5d225.html

I found out several children from NO started school today where my 2nd grader goes. My concern is twofold...that they might be carrying something they don't know because it hasn't shown up yet. Also, there is no way to know if they are current on their shots. I would like to see all the NO children have to have shots, at no cost to them, before they enter our school unless they have proof.

Am I asking too much?

[Ganja Ninja]

24. No we aren't.

Getting people into a clean healthy environment is imperative. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water or food or general unsanitary conditions. People who have it are going to show it. It's not something that has a long incubation period. People get it and shit themselves to death in a very short time. Frequent washing of hands and cleanliness is all it takes to stop the spread.