TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Disaster-related shelter surveillance during the Hurricane Harvey response - Texas 2017
JO  - Disaster medicine and public health preparedness
A1  - Schnall, Amy Helene
A1  - Hanchey, Arianna
A1  - Nakata, Nicole
A1  - Wang, Alice
A1  - Jeddy, Zuha
A1  - Alva, Herminia
A1  - Tan, Christina
A1  - Boehmer, Tegan
A1  - Bayleyegn, Tesfaye
A1  - Casey-Lockyer, Mary
SP  - 1
EP  - 7
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Hurricane Harvey left a path of destruction in its wake, resulting in over 100 deaths and damaging critical infrastructure. During a disaster, public health surveillance is necessary to track emerging illnesses and injuries, identify at-risk populations, and assess the effectiveness of response efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Red Cross collaborate on shelter surveillance to monitor the health of the sheltered population and help guide response efforts. <br><br>METHODS: We analyzed data collected from 24 Red Cross shelters between August 25, 2017, and September 14, 2017. We described the aggregate morbidity data collected during Harvey compared with previous hurricanes (Gustav, Ike, and Sandy). <br><br>RESULTS: Over one-third (38%) of reasons for visit were for health care maintenance; 33% for acute illnesses, which includes respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal symptoms, and pain; 19% for exacerbation of chronic disease; 7% for mental health; and 4% for injury. The Red Cross treated 41% of clients within the shelters; however, reporting of disposition was often missed. These results are comparable to previous hurricanes. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The capacity of Red Cross shelter staff to address the acute health needs of shelter residents is a critical resource for local public health agencies overwhelmed by the disaster. However, there remains room for improvement because reporting remained inconsistent.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1935-7893
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2019.25
ID  - ref1
ER  -