[Assessing epidemiological consequences two years after the tsunami of 26 December 2004?].
In December 2004, a very devastating tsunami struck the coasts of a number of countries along the Indian Ocean inducing about 280,000 deaths and at least 125,000 injured persons. As after such disaster the occurrence of large epidemics of cholera, malaria or arbovirus infections are to be expected. In fact, two years later, no outbreak has been reported among the exposed populations and this is probably the usual outcome for such disasters. However an real increase in number of cases of melioidosis and many bacterial or fungic infections affecting the pulmonary tract, the skin and the injured soft tissues, was noted mainly in repatriated tourists. These latter infections were due to rare or atypical, frequently multiresistant, microorganisms.
Chastel
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Laboratoire de Virologie, Faculté de Médecine, Brest, France. chastelc@aol.com
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors