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Although there is absolutely never a good time for any city to endure a 7.0 earthquake, Port-au-Prince, Haiti had the small bit of luck to see their disaster come during their dry season.
Temperatures and humidity's are at their lows for the year, and hurricane season is still six months away.
The rainy season is coming, however. And that will only add to the misery – and the potential for disease – in the refugee camps.
Already health care workers are reporting cases of measles, diarrhea, and tetanus in the recovery area. With sanitation problems, difficulties in getting clean drinking water, and the close quarters people now find themselves living in – the potential for further outbreaks is increasing.
This from the VOA News.
WHO: Risk of Epidemics in Haiti Increasing
World Health Organization says people are at great risk of getting diarrhea, cholera and other water borne diseases because of the bad sanitary conditions and contaminated water.
Lisa Schlein | Geneva 30 January 2010
Photo: UN//Marco Dormino
A camp of makeshift tents sprawls at Port-au-Prince's golf course, where many Haitians displaced by the earthquake have set up shelter, 25 Jan 2010
The World Health Organization says the risk of epidemics breaking out in earthquake-devastated Haiti is increasing as the rainy season approaches. WHO says it already is receiving reports of a growing number of cases of diarrhea, measles and tetanus.
The World Health Organization says it is worried about an explosion of diseases in Haiti. It says people are at great risk of getting diarrhea, cholera and other water borne diseases because of the bad sanitary conditions and contaminated water.
It says contagious diseases such as measles can spread like wildfire in the overcrowded, squalid resettlement camps.
WHO spokesman Paul Garwood says U.N. agencies and the Haitian government will conduct a campaign next week to immunize hundreds of thousands of children under age five against measles, tetanus and diphtheria.
He says WHO and other aid agencies will be taking additional measures to try to prevent epidemics from breaking out.
