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Melioidosis is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a saprophytic, gram-negative bacillus endemic to tropical regions worldwide (1). Diagnosis is difficult because of wide-ranging clinical manifestations (2), and this bacterium is innately [...]

Human alterations of the environment may interact with natural disturbances to alter the characteristics of biological communities in unexpected ways. I studied vegetation plots in a leveed bottomland hardwood forest at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge near New Orleans, LA to determine how Hurricane. Katrina affected the woody plant community and the distribution of the invasive Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera). The storm killed approximately 68% of all trees in both overstory and understory and reduced basal area proportionately. Nearly all mortality was due to storm surge flooding, which was trapped for up to 3 wk by levees surrounding the refuge. Mortality was far greater than observed in other recent Gulf hurricanes and was three times higher than in similar forests in the nearby Pearl River basin that were struck by the highest winds from Hurricane Katrina. Flood mortality resulted in reduced community diversity and increased the dominance of the introduced T. sebifera after the storm at the expense of less flood-tolerant native species. The plant community appears likely to shift from a canopy dominated by native species to one dominated by Chinese tallow. This shift appears to be largely an unintended consequence of levee construction, which prevented storm surge from rapidly draining after the hurricane passed. The results suggest that widespread floodplain development may interact with future hurricanes to produce abrupt shifts in plant community composition and function in coastal habitats throughout the southeastern United States., INTRODUCTION Gulf coastal hardwood forests frequently experience disturbance from tropical storms but rarely experience lasting damage due to their long history of coevolution with storms (Conner et al., 1989). Unaltered [...]

This study sought to establish the prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in the 6 months before and after Hurricane Katrina. Participants were 445 married or cohabiting persons who were living in the 23 southernmost counties of Mississippi at the time of Hurricane Katrina. Data for this study were collected as part of a larger, population-based, representative study. The percentage of women reporting psychological victimization increased from 33.6% prior to Hurricane Katrina to 45.2% following Hurricane Katrina (p < .001). The percentage of men reporting psychological victimization increased from 36.7% to 43.1% (p = .01). Reports of physical victimization increased from 4.2% to 8.3% for women (p = .01) but were unchanged for men. Significant predictors of post-Katrina victimization included pre-Katrina victimization, age, educational attainment, marital status, and hurricane-related stressors. Reports of IPV were associated with greater risk of post-Katrina depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Data from the first population-based study to document IPV following a large-scale natural disaster suggest that IPV may be an important but often overlooked public health concern following disasters. Keywords: intimate partner violence; disasters; posttraumatic stress disorder; depression DOI: 10.1891/0886-6708.25.5.588

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2010.00345.x Byline: J. Steven Picou (1), Kenneth Hudson (2) Abstract: Katrina was the most devastating and deadliest hurricane in recent U.S. history. The storm was particularly destructive for residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast where sustained winds of 135 mph and a storm surge of 32 feet literally obliterated the built and modified environments. Limited research exists on the chronic (32 months) mental health impacts of survivors in this geographical area. Random-digit dialing telephone surveys were administered in Harrison and Hancock counties (Mississippi) in April and May 2008 and data were collected on a number of mental health outcomes. The results of the calculation of Oridinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models revealed that females, African Americans, and less-educated residents manifested the most severe mental health impacts. Most important, consistent findings for depression and Katrina-related psychological stress indicate that residents who were separated from family members, had maximum residential damage, and suffered severe financial problems remained significantly impacted 32 months after Katrina's landfall. A secondary stressor, in the form of having applications to the Mississippi State Grant Program denied or not processed also predicted personal depression. The implications of these findings are discussed. Author Affiliation: (1)University of South Alabama (2)University of South Alabama

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mental health professionals and African American pastors and their churches could collaborate to overcome minority disaster mental health disparities. Forty-one African American pastors of churches located in south Mississippi, in counties directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, participated in semi-structured interviews approximately l year after the storm. The majority of participants reported being interested in collaborating with mental health professionals to: (a) develop educational and outreach opportunities, (b) lead assessment procedures, (c) offer consultation activities, (d) provide clinically focused services, and (e) utilize spiritual resources and support. Participants provided further insight into how these collaborative activities could be modified to meet post-disaster needs and offered novel applications. Following from these discussions, the article provides a number of recommendations that can be used to aid in the development of disaster collaborative activities between African American pastors and churches and mental health professionals to serve minority communities while also decreasing disparities. Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, African Americans, church, collaboration, clergy DOI: 10.1037/a0018116

Overall health status after a disaster may be associated with long-term physical morbidity and mortality. Little is known about factors associated with overall health status in the aftermath of disasters. We examined self-rated health in relation to disaster characteristics, social resources, and post-disaster outcomes in a sample of adults who experienced the 2004 Florida hurricanes. We interviewed a representative sample of 1,452 adults aged 18 years and older residing in the 33 Florida counties that were in the direct path of at least one of the 2004 hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne). Overall health status was assessed using a self-rating format known to be predictive of mortality. Poor self-rated health was endorsed by 14.6% of the sample. Final multivariable models showed that poor self-rated health was associated with older age (p < 0.001), extreme fear during the hurricane (p = 0.03), low social support (p = 0.03), and depression (p = 0.003) since the hurricane. Self-rated health following the Florida hurricanes was strongly associated with two variables (social support and depression) that potentially can be mitigated through targeted interventions after disasters. Future work should evaluate secondary prevention strategies that can address general health-related concerns in the wake of a disaster.

After Hurricane Katrina, the number of reported cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) sharply increased in the hurricane-affected regions of Louisiana and Mississippi. In 2006, a >2-fold increase in [...]

Hurricane Katrina had a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of Louisiana and Mississippi families. Housing was destroyed, jobs were lost, and family members were separated, sometimes in different states and without communication. Postdisaster stress reactions were common, with vulnerable individuals most affected. Mental health services were not adequate to meet immediate needs, and postdisaster mental health issues often emerge over time. This article describes the mental health needs of dislocated and evacuee children and families and the steps that were taken to develop mental health programs that would be sustainable over time to meet this new level of need. Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, mental health, disaster mental health, trauma, Katrina lessons learned

Hurricane Katrina provided an opportunity to observe the public health and medical care response system in practice and provided vital lessons about identifying and learning critical response measures as well as about ineffective investments of time and effort. The Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness (SWCPHP) response team, while working among evacuees housed at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas, made a number of observations related to environmental public health. This summary reports firsthand observations which are, to a great extent, supported by the Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned report, and it provides a contextual backdrop for improvement in the areas of volunteer and citizen preparedness training and education. Katrina provided an opportunity to see public health in a highly stressed practice setting and to identify and reinforce the fundamental tenets of public health with which all individuals responding to an event should be familiar. Knowledge gained from Katrina should be integrated into future efforts related to disaster response planning; specifically, it is imperative that volunteers receive standardized training in the areas of incident command systems (ICS), basic hygiene, transmission of disease, and food and water safety principles., Introduction On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the coastal areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Katrina was a catastrophe and has been called the "most devastating [...]

An assessment is made of environmental damage and health threats in North Carolina resulting from Hurricane Floyd, which flooded livestock pens and carried dead animals and waste into watersheds and reservoirs. New waste management incentives are also discussed that would prevent contamination brought on by flooding from storms.

In south Dade county, Florida, the most common reasons for clinic or hospital visits after Hurricane Andrew in Aug 1992 were injuries and diarrhea. Though concern about the spread of infectious diseases such as typhoid had been raised immediately following the hurricane, epidemics did not occur. The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) and the US Army compiled data on patient visits to civilian and military clinics that provided free care and to hospital emergency rooms from Aug 30 until Sep 30, 1992. At the army clinics, the most common reasons for seeking treatment were injury, dermatologic illness, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal illness. At the civilian clinics, the most common reasons for visits included injury, infection, rash, diarrhea and cough., Objective.--To describe the health status of and to detect disease outbreaks in the population affected by Hurricane Andrew in south Dade County, Florida. Design.--The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and the US Army conducted active surveillance for gastrointestinal illness, respiratory illness, injury, and other index conditions by monitoring civilian and service member visits to care sites (civilian and military free care sites and hospital emergency departments) from August 30 (1 week after the hurricane&apos;s landfall) through September 30, 1992. Setting.--South Dade County, Florida. Main Outcome Measures.--Proportional morbidity: the number of daily visits for each index condition divided by the total number of visits, expressed as a percentage. Morbidity rate: the total number of daily visits by service members divided by the total number of service members, expressed as a percentage. Results.--Six index conditions accounted for 41.3% of visits to civilian free care sites: diarrhea (4.7%), cough (4.7%), other infection (9.6%), rash (5.4%), animal bite (1.2%), and injury (15.7%). At military free care sites, five index conditions accounted for 75.7% of civilian visits: injury (23.7%), dermatologic illness (12.4%), respiratory illness (9.9%), gastrointestinal illness (5.3%), and other medical conditions (24.4%). Two index conditions accounted for 54.1% of service method visits: injury (36.2%) and dermatologic illness (17.9%). During the 5 weeks after the hurricane, proportional morbidity from injury decreased; proportional morbidity from respiratory illness increased; and proportional morbidity from diarrhea was stable. No infectious disease outbreaks occurred. Conclusions.--Injuries were an important source of morbidity throughout the surveillance period, especially among service members. Enteric and respiratory agents did not cause outbreaks, despite alarming rumors to the contrary.