Epidemiologic Surveillance after Natural Disaster
Lesson 2 - Postdisaster potential of communicable disease epidemics
Study Guide
This lesson discusses the potential of epidemic outbreaks of
communicable disease after disaster. It defines three ways in which susceptible
persons may be exposed to endemic disease, which may cause subsequent epidemics
or increased levels of endemic communicable disease. It also discusses special
problems that may be encountered in encamped populations and measures that may
prevent communicable diseases. Also, it summarizes the epidemic potential of
selected communicable diseases following disasters in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
Learning Objectives
Recognize the potential of epidemic outbreaks of communicable
diseases after disaster.
Recognize the different ways in which susceptible
individuals may be exposed to endemic diseases.
Know the risks involved in
encamped populations.
Know the sanitary requirements for encamped
populations.
Learning Activities
Read pages 13-17 in the manual.
Read, but do not memorize,
Table 2 in the manual.
Read, but do not memorize, Annex 4 in the manual.
Evaluation
Complete the Self-Assessment Test.
Notes
Lesson 2 - Self-Assessment Test
Multiple Choice
Circle the correct answer:
1. Sanitation requirements during disaster relief operations
require that the tent camp sites be:
a. on a slope of land with a nature of soil that
favors easy drainage
b. protected from adverse weather conditions
c. away
from mosquito breeding sites, refuse dumps, and commercial and industrial
zones
d. all of the above
e. a and c
2. Which of the following diseases does not have a high epidemic
potential following a disaster in Latin America or the Caribbean:
a. diarrhea
b. viral hepatitis A
c. viral
hepatitis B
d. influenza
e. typhoid fever
True/False
Indicate T or F:
____3. In developing countries, epidemics are common following
natural disasters.
____4. In general, rural populations migrating to cities are more
susceptible to communicable diseases than urban populations migrating to rural
areas.
____5. In an encampment, if an epidemic can be avoided for the
first two weeks following a disaster, the risk becomes much less.
____6. Foreign voluntary relief teams are seldom at risk from
communicable diseases since their immunization levels are high and they take
appropriate precautions.
____7. If a disease has never been reported in a disaster area, an
epidemiologist can assume there is no need for surveillance related to that
disease.
____8. Reports of communicable diseases should be expected to
increase during medical relief periods following a disaster whether there is an
actual increase or not.
Answer Key
