Haiti...a petri-dish in the making......

Help for the people of Haiti is coming in from all over the world, but will it be soon enough for such a major disaster? My question is this....What kind of diseases can we expect to see come out of this disaster and how will it be cured and contained. Will there be more people die from diseases than from injuries in the quakes? How will the governments of each country that sends aid make sure that these illnesses won't be brought back with the troops and first-responders that they send to Haiti?

I have been praying since I first heard about the earthquakes. So much death...so much heartbreak. I know that the people of the world will do all that is humanly possible for the people of Haiti.

My post is just something else to think about.....

Good question, but in all honesty the same could be said about any disaster in any part of the world, where the rest of the world helps with support workers and troops.

Many of the diseases that people will witness will by water based, as what water left will become contaminated very quickly.
Most of these diseases already have vaccines or treatments.

Out of interest, are you thinking that a new diseases will spawn ??

In a situation like this you must assume that all manner of contamination are possible. Everything from water contamination to individuals who have been infected through wounds, individuals who made contact with the bodily fluids of the injured without protection, airborne viruses like the flu, and diseases from rotting food. This includes:

Cholera, influenza, auto-immune diseases(including AIDS), sepsis, Dysentery, Tetanus, Pneumonia, E. Coli, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and possibly new diseases yet to be endured in the wake of such devastation.

Many of these diseases may be augmented and mutated by severe malnutrition and a lack of proper medical care. It would be possible for certain people to be infected with one or more of these diseases and with no help in sight, may infect others with possibly new strains of existing diseases or brand new diseases.

Haiti is a place with much biodiversity, we are talking the Caribbean here. It would be very difficult to assess the sorts of pathogens one might encounter in a situation like this.

[edit on 17-1-2010 by projectvxn]

reply to post by colec156


Yes, that is one of my concerns.

Another concern is also some of the old diseases that could return especially since there are so many dead bodies hidden in the rubble that won't be recoverable for a long time.

People need to ask themselves who wields more power on a global scale...........oil companies, drug companies or military industrial complex? Just exactly which industries will be profiting HUGELY from this Haitian disaster? ALL OF THE ABOVE! Drug companies especially. All this free charity money reigning down on their coffers to supply drugs and antibiotics, vaccines etc.

Its a distaster just like any other. There is no need for paranoia, really. The diseases encountered in Haiti are the same which you'ed find in any under-developed nation which has just been hit by a tradgedy. As long as the dead are buried with due haste there want be too much of a crisis. The countries sanitation system has always been poor so that not an issue which will come as a suprise.