Via NPR's Shots blog: Public Health Officials Urge Residents To Beware Of Contaminated Water. Excerpt:
As health departments in Texas try to assist people with immediate medical needs following Hurricane Harvey, they're also looking to ensure those affected can get the prescription drugs they need and stay as safe as possible.
"Our best advice is always to avoid floodwater as much as you can," says Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. "Of course, people have had to be in the water — they haven't had a choice."
The state has already begun filling requests for tetanus vaccinations and is sending supplies of the vaccine to the affected areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get a tetanus booster every 10 years; the bacteria can enter the body through breaks in the skin and can cause serious illness. The CDC also has specific recommendations for children on their website.
Van Deusen says water contamination from household chemicals and possibly industrial chemicals could be a problem, although as of midday Monday, he had yet to hear of a major industrial facility being flooded.
Dr. Phil Huang, medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health in the state capital, urges people to clean wounds with soap and water. "Certainly, there can be contamination with high levels of water — fecal contamination, things like that."
He also warns that well water could be contaminated as a result of flooding. He says it's important that people boil water for at least a minute before using it, or get bottled water.
Huang says in the days ahead, safety concerns could include carbon monoxide poisoning in households using generators; the consumption of contaminated food stored without refrigeration; and injuries suffered when people try to get back to their homes. Longer term, he says, mold will be an issue.
See also this Reuters report on flood hazards Houstonians face.
