The devastating aftermath of a hurricane is impossible to miss.
Building and homes are leveled while streets fill with floodwater. Affected regions can deal with power outages, dangerous animals and a lack of clean water.
But, there is another dangerous risk that’s often forgotten, posing a risk for years after the storm.
Along with the flooding and destruction, hurricanes can bring new bacteria. Collecting and spreading with the storm, the risk of disease rises in the aftermath.
Although only a few countries make up Central America, the food is as interesting and diverse as the area’s history. Due to it’s location, Central America has been influenced by different cultures which makes its cuisine unlike any other in the world.
El Salvador’s traditional breakfast dish makes us of a Central American favorite: plantains.
Natural disasters do far more than immediate damage. The effects of these disasters can be long lasting and creates a need for volunteers to help with the recovery.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, the list is long when it comes to disasters requiring volunteer response. For foreign volunteers and locals effected by the disaster, disease is just one more risk that comes from the event. In every area of the world, a natural disaster increases the chances of disease.
The World Health Organization started a campaign in 2013 to monitor vaccines and diseases during natural disasters. Along with the Center for Disease Control, the WHO hopes this plan will be implemented as a part of aid efforts in response to disasters.
France now poses a risk for chikungunya.
The World Health Organization confirmed four cases of the mosquito-borne disease in south eastern France on Friday. Including the nine other possible cases, the WHO fears at least 13 people are infected with chikungunya.
While four confirmed cases may seem small, mosquito-borne diseases are not native to the region. This continues a trend of mosquito-borne disease that are becoming more frequent throughout parts of Europe.
The polio epidemic in the U.S. was far-reaching with widespread consequences. Touching the lives of all citizens, the disease even reached the highest levels of the government. The most notable of these was the 32nd American president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The polio epidemic began in the U.S. around 1916. The initial outbreak in New York led to 27,000 cases and 6,000 deaths by the end of that year.
With no vaccine, polio continued to affect communities across the U.S. for the next several decades. While many who contracted polio did not show symptoms, cases often ended tragically. This could be as small as muscle aches or a fever, but sometimes meant paralysis or death.
