>>>沪江汶川地震专题

【与自然灾害相关的其他疾病】

破伤风的传播途径不是从人到人,而是由厌氧性破伤风杆菌释放的有毒物质造成。在破伤风疫苗接种率低的人群中,伤口感染容易造成破伤风引起的疾病和死亡。印度洋海啸发生两周半以后,印尼亚齐(Aceh)发生了106例破伤风,其中20例死亡(26)。2005年巴基斯坦地震后同样报告了破伤风病例(25)。

1994年1月南加州地震后,爆发了罕见的球霉菌症(俗称河谷热)。这种病的感染不通过人际传播,而是由粗球霉菌造成,这种真菌存在于美国北部和南部一些半干旱区域的土壤中。地震之后发生山体滑坡,导致空气中漂浮的尘埃量增加,从而引起了这次疾病爆发(39)。

Other Diseases Associated with Natural Disasters
Tetanus is not transmitted person to person but is caused by a toxin released by the anaerobic tetanus bacillus Clostridium tetani. Contaminated wounds, particularly in populations where vaccination coverage levels are low, are associated with illness and death from tetanus. A cluster of 106 cases of tetanus, including 20 deaths, occurred in Aceh and peaked 2 1/2 weeks after the tsunami (26). Cases were also reported in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake (25).

An unusual outbreak of coccidiomycosis occurred after the January 1994 Southern California earthquake. The infection is not transmitted person to person and is caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis, which is found in soil in certain semiarid areas of North and South America. This outbreak was associated with exposure to increased levels of airborne dust subsequent to landslides in the aftermath of the earthquake (39).