The topic dominating headlines, and rightfully so, is the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. One of the biggest threats to not only the citizens of New Orleans, but also people in neighboring cities and states, is that of disease outbreaks. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina face multiple health threats that include infectious diseases and respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.

An excerpt from a CNN online article:

Public health problems loom in Katrina's wake

Thursday, September 1, 2005; Posted: 2:37 p.m. EDT (18:37 GMT)

"When you get that many people together under those conditions, just one person who's infected could infect many other un-vaccinated people."

Food-borne outbreaks such as E. coli and transmittable respiratory illnesses are also a threat, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy at the University of Minnesota.

"The next few days, staying hydrated is the big thing and avoiding consuming contaminated foods and water. ... If you can do that, you're probably OK for a week," said Dr. Joseph Guarisco, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Minor injuries also may turn into major issues as the days pass and infection develops.

"You could have a very healthy 25-year-old who was [slightly wounded] during the actual [hurricane] who doesn't appear to be very sick the first day or two but then actually has a life-threatening infection by day three or four," Osterholm said. "So it's important to find those people."

The military also is sending medical help, including the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to reach the region in about a week. Four ships from Norfolk, Virginia, are being loaded with food, soap and medical supplies.

But even after the physical threat passes, experts said the hurricane-hit population still has to deal with the psychological effects.

"Many people will be stressed and will require support over a long period of time and will be vulnerable to psychological problems. We know this from other disaster experiences," said Dr. Irwin Redlener, head of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

In the coming weeks, as the population begins physically to reconstruct, the need for mental reinforcement will be key, according to Redlener.

"The combination of needing the mental health support and trying to re-establish some semblance of life and access to vital services creates an extraordinarily complex rescue environment that people are trying to work through right now," he said.

"We have to bring services to people pretty fast. Or they'll see big problems."

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