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Impact of a Hurricane Shelter Viral Gastroenteritis Outbreak on a Responding Medical Team

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2015

Joshua B. Gaither ,
Rianne Page ,
Caren Prather ,
Fred Paavola  and
Andrew L. Garrett
Joshua B. Gaither*
Affiliation:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Emergency Management, National Disaster Medical System, Tucson, ArizonaUSA University of Arizona College of Medicine, Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tucson, ArizonaUSA
Rianne Page
Affiliation:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Emergency Management, National Disaster Medical System, Tucson, ArizonaUSA
Caren Prather
Affiliation:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Emergency Management, National Disaster Medical System, Tucson, ArizonaUSA
Fred Paavola
Affiliation:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Emergency Management, National Disaster Medical System, Tucson, ArizonaUSA
Andrew L. Garrett
Affiliation:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Emergency Management, National Disaster Medical System, Tucson, ArizonaUSA
*
Correspondence: Joshua B. Gaither, MD 1501 North Campbell Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA E-mail: jgaither@aemrc.arizona.edu
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Abstract

Introduction

In late October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the northeast United States and shelters were established throughout the impacted region. Numerous cases of infectious viral gastroenteritis occurred in several of these shelters. Such outbreaks are common and have been well described in the past. Early monitoring for, and recognition of, the outbreak allowed for implementation of aggressive infection control measures. However, these measures required intensive medical response team involvement. Little is known about how such outbreaks affect the medical teams responding to the incident.

Hypothesis/Problem

Describe the impact of an infectious viral gastroenteritis outbreak within a single shelter on a responding medical team.

Methods

The number of individuals staying in the single shelter each night (as determined by shelter staff) and the number of patients treated for symptoms of viral gastroenteritis were recorded each day. On return from deployment, members of a single responding medical team were surveyed to determine how many team members became ill during, or immediately following, their deployment.

Results

The shelter population peaked on November 5, 2012 with 811 individuals sleeping in the shelter. The first patients presented to the shelter clinic with symptoms of viral gastroenteritis on November 4, 2012, and the last case was seen on November 21, 2012. A total of 64 patients were treated for nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea over the 17-day period. A post-deployment survey was sent to 66 deployed medical team members and 45 completed the survey. Twelve (26.7%) of the team members who responded to the survey experienced symptoms of probable viral gastroenteritis. Team members reported onset of symptoms during deployment as well as after returning home. Symptoms started on days 4-8, 8-14, on the trip home, and after returning home in four, four, two, and two team members, respectively.

Conclusion

Medical teams providing shelter care during viral gastroenteritis outbreaks are susceptible to contracting the virus while caring for patients. When responding to similar incidents in the future, teams should not only be ready to implement aggressive infectious control measures but also be prepared to care for team members who become ill.

GaitherJB, PageR, PratherC, PaavolaF, GarrettAL. Impact of a Hurricane Shelter Viral Gastroenteritis Outbreak on a Responding Medical Team. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(4):1–4.

Keywords

cyclonic stormsdisasterdisease outbreakgastroenteritisinfection control
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 355 - 358
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

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