Among the medical dangers for citizens of the New Orleans metropolitan area are dead and stray animals, rats
flushed from the French Quarter, mosquitoes carrying
West Nile virus and water that could seep into caskets in
the city's famous graveyards.
Disease and infections are all around, and precautions
must be taken, OU officials in Oklahoma City said.
But at least Gulf Coast residents had time to get ready
for the hurricane instead of the unprepared thousands
who died from the Dec. 29 tsunami, said Gary Raskob,
dean of the OU College of Public Health in Oklahoma
City.
Clean water and uncontaminated food, though, are two
main concerns in the hurricane's wake, said Raskob and
OU doctors Michael Bronze and Ron Greenfield.
Gulf Coast authorities should be able to tell residents if
tap water is safe to drink or use for cooking or bathing,
they said.
If the water isn't safe, those in the storm's path should
be advised to either use bottled water or boil their own
water, they said.
E. coli, cholera and other parasitic infections are possible with contaminated water, Bronze said.
To prevent illnesses from tainted food, OU officials
said, New Orleans and Gulf Coast residents should be
told to throw away food that may have come in contact
with flood or storm water. Canned foods that are bulging,
opened or damaged should be discarded.
Because of power outages, any perishable foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers should
be tossed if those foods have been above 40 degrees
Fahrenheit for two hours or more.
Despite the South's heat, residents should try to prevent mosquito bites and the possibility of West Nile virus
by wearing long pants, socks and long-sleeved shirts, and
by using insect repellents that contain DEET or Picaridin,
OU officials said.
Rabid dogs and cats also present problems for Gulf
Coast residents, Greenfield said.
Buildings and homes, meanwhile, should be cleaned
up as soon as possible to avoid mold growth, OU officials
said. They said victims should throw away porous items
such as carpets and upholstered furniture that cannot be
dried quickly.
In the clean-up process, they said, Gulf Coast residents
should be alert to physical and emotional exhaustion or
strains.
