Hurricane Florence could leave deadly diseases, diseases in its wake: a look at what to watch for

Although Florence has gone from a powerful hurricane to a tropical depression, its effects could continue to spread life-threatening diseases and diseases.

The Department of Health and Human Services declared public health emergencies in the Carolinas and Virginia last week.

"As the President has pointed out, we are fully ready to support communities that need our help because of the storm," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "We work closely with public health and emergency management to anticipate community needs and be ready to meet them."

Read on to see some of the health risks that can become common after a hurricane.

Mold

As residents return home after hurricanes, they may be exposed to a potentially dangerous flood hazard in their homes: mold.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that people have to assume that they have mold if the house is flooded and can not be completely dried – including furniture and books – in the 24 to 48 hours.

The agency recommends that residents wear an N-95 respirator, protective gloves or goggles when they enter a site that may contain mold. They should also shower immediately and change clothes after leaving a site.

The CDC says mold can cause eye and skin irritation, allergic reactions and asthma attacks, and can be particularly dangerous for those who already have weakened immune systems.

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The CDC also advises people to wait to return home until a professional has judged them safe.

Wound infections

It's common to be injured as a result of a hurricane, warned Dr. Fox News' Dr. Manny Alvarez. According to the CDC, when these wounds are exposed to dirty water, they could be infected.

To prevent infections, the CDC recommends keeping wounds covered with waterproof dressings and thoroughly washing them with clean water and soap.

You should consult a doctor if a wound becomes red, swollen or shows drainage, says the CDC.

Mosquitoes

According to the CDC, eggs that have been "deposited in the ground by mosquitoes during previous floods" will generally not survive.

Most of these new mosquitoes are considered "nuisance mosquitoes" and do not usually transmit viruses, according to the CDC. But those who could cause illness can increase 2 to 2 months after a hurricane.

"After a hurricane or flood, the health department or district mosquito control will often take action to reduce the mosquito population," said the CDC.

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Following Hurricane Harvey, which devastated parts of Louisiana and Texas in 2017, mosquito control officials asked residents to perform their duties.

"As the water recedes from the floods, there will be a lot of pockets and puddles where mosquitoes will breed," Mustapha Debboun, director of the department's Mosquito Division told Fox News. Harris County Health Authority. . "More habitats will be available for them."

"Trench foot"

People can contract what is called "trench foot" or "foot dive" if their feet are wet for an extended period of time.

According to the CDC, symptoms include pain, swelling, numbness, tingling sensation, itching, stained skin, cold or a feeling of heaviness in the foot. The CDC also warns that the foot could become dry, sore, red and blistering.

Without treatment, severe cases can exceed the entire foot.

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To prevent this painful disease, the CDC recommends that the feet be air-dried and bred. Socks and wet shoes should also be exchanged for dry shoes as soon as possible. If contracted, the CDC recommends cleaning the feet, planting them in hot water and consulting a doctor.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

With the power off, many people could use gas, charcoal grills or generators in confined spaces that could build up carbon monoxide in the house, warned the CDC.

Dr. Jake Freiberger, anesthetist at Duke Health, also warned of the dangers of carbon monoxide from generators. He encouraged people to make sure they have a working carbon monoxide monitor.

"Carbon monoxide goes through the walls," Freiberger said at a recent Duke event. "It gets very, very easily into sheet rock, and protecting your generator set in your garage or on the porch or in another room of your home is absolutely not a protection. He can be deadly, and he can kill many people at once. "

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Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: dizziness, weakness, vomiting, confusion, chest pain and headache. The symptoms may also be compatible with those of the flu.

"People who sleep or are drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms," according to the CDC.

Pork waste

When many hog farms are flooded, the authorities worry about the spread of pork urine and fecal matter that can cause significant contamination of the water.

Eastern North Carolina, in particular, is a "big area for corporate farms and garbage ponds," Joel Cline, meteorologist and tropical storm coordinator with NOAA, told Fox News. In fact, North Carolina has more than 2,000 industrial-scale pork operations that contain more than nine million pigs, reported the Associated Press.

These pigs are usually housed in long metal sheds with grated soils. The floors are designed to allow urine and animal droppings to pass through grids and enter nearby open pits, which contain "millions of liters of untreated sewage," according to the AP.

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When these pits are flooded, sewage can flow into other areas and threaten the water supply with a variety of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms.

"Residents of North Carolina communities near large hog farms have multiple health problems that can not be fully explained by the impact of demographic, socio-economic, behavioral, and access to medical care, but also additional impact of many large pig farms, "Dr. Julia Kravchenko, an assistant professor in the faculty of medicine at Duke University, told Fox News.

"Hurricanes and floods increase the adverse effects of environmental exposures because of the higher doses of contaminants that can get out of the lagoons and wider geographic areas that can be affected," she said.

Coal ash

After Florence, more than three dozen massive ashes of coal ash are being maintained by power plants in the area. The gray ash remaining after burning coal contains potentially harmful amounts of arsenic, lead and mercury.

Duke Energy, North Carolina's largest electricity supplier, said heavy rains had already caused the collapse of a slope in a coal ash dump near the North Carolina coast. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan told The Associated Press that about 2,000 cubic yards – enough ash to fill about 180 dump trucks – have been relocated to the Wilmington Generating Station. .

While information on the health impact of coal-fired power plants is rare, the reported health risks include (but are not limited to) a range of diseases such as the increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease. birth weight, a higher risk of developmental and behavioral disorders in infants and children, and increased infant mortality, "Kravchenko said.

Madeline Farber of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.