Rapid risk assessment on major communicable diseases and public health emergencies in earthquake affected area in Jinggu, Yunnan

Objective To assess the risk of major communicable diseases and public health emergencies in the earthquake affected area in Jinggu, Yunnan province and provide evidence for the communicable disease prevention/control and public health emergency response in the affected area. Methods An expert counsel was conducted within 48 hours after the earthquake to evaluate the risk to human health based on the analysis on the previous incidence data of notifiable communicable diseases and public health emergencies, disaster situation, background information and the risk factors with potential to affect human health in the affected area as well as the response actions undertaken. The risk levels of major communicable diseases and public health emergencies were estimated and the corresponding advice was given. Results The infrastructure in the affected area was not seriously damaged. The possibility of high casualty was not high. The capacity of medical care and disease control might not be affected seriously or might be even better than before. However, the risk factors that might affect human health still existed. The incidence risks of influenza, mumps, HFMD and food poisoning were high, the incidence risks of measles, TB, rubella, scarlet fever, chicken pox, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, bacillary dysentery, infectious diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid and paratyphoid, rabies and tsutsugamushi disease were moderate and the incidence risks of cholera, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever, plague and anthrax were low. Conclusion In the post-disaster emergency response phase, the prevention and control of communicable disease and public health emergencies should be focused on the public health related information collection, public health need evaluation, disease surveillance and reporting, drinking water and food safety, the management of shelters, environment sanitation improvement, disinfection or sterilization, health education and basic public health service in the disaster affected area.