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As Iowa moves into phase two of the flooding disaster-cleanup-the risk to public health could increase, public health officials at the University of Iowa said during a news conference Friday."From a public health standpoint, we will be in a much more dangerous place," College of Public Health Dean James Merchant said.The presence of bacteria and mold in flooded areas could impact public health for a long time as people attempt to reclaim homes and businesses. UI officials discussed impacts on mental health, traumatic injuries and injury prevention, water quality and diseases carried by insects, as well as people most susceptible.Kathleen Staley, assistant director of University Counseling Service, said mental illness can be a serious issue during times of crisis.People with prior mental illness or trauma, people with weather phobia, people with limited resources, the aging population and obviously those displaced will be among the people at greatest risk, Staley said.She encouraged people to monitor the behavior of family and friends for signals such as prolonged periods of sadness, constantly feeling tired, rapid weight loss, insomnia and/or difficulty with concentration or memory."These can be signs of depression," Staley said.Staley said a mental health professional should be contacted if people are at risk.Wayne Sanderson, professor of occupational and environmental health and director of the UI Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, urged people to take precautions during cleanup.People who will be exposed to floodwaters or areas where floodwaters were, particularly indoor places such as homes or workplaces, should protect themselves. People should look for respirators with a N95 certification, which means it removes 95 percent of particle matter."Any time you have moisture and high temperatures, mold is going to be rampant. This is something we learned from Katrina and other floods," Sanderson said.Mold will be prevalent in flooded areas, Sanderson said.It grows on anything damp and porous, such as drywall, ceiling tiles, carpeting, insulation and stuffed animals. Those should be thrown away, Merchant said.Mold produces spores that float through the air and is a known trigger of allergies and asthma. Wearing long sleeves and using respirators is a good idea if people will be exposed to flooded areas for an extended period of time.Someone running in quickly to grab something is not likely at significant risk, he said. However, people at risk, such as those with depleted immune systems, asthma or the very young or old, should use precautions at all times, he said.Sanderson also recommended caution to people using pressure washers because those machines produce high levels of carbon monoxide. Those caused fatalities after the 1993 flood, he said.People with private wells ought to get their water tested, said Nancy Hall, supervisor of environmental microbiology at University Hygienic Laboratory.She recommended shock chlorination and flushing the well and said to conduct the test afterward."If it is impacted by flooding, we know it is going to come up positive (for contamination)," she said.
As in the days of Noah...
