Natural disasters may lead to infectious disease outbreaks when they result in substantial population displacement and exacerbate synergic risk factors (change in the environment, in human conditions and in the vulnerability to existing pathogens) for disease transmission. We reviewed risk factors and potential infectious diseases resulting from prolonged secondary effects of major natural disasters that occurred from 2000 to 2011. Natural disasters including floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, tropical cyclones (e.g., hurricanes and typhoons) and tornadoes have been secondarily described with the following infectious diseases including diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria, leptospirosis, measles, dengue fever, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, meningitis, as well as tetanus and cutaneous mucormycosis. Risk assessment is essential in post-disaster situations and the rapid implementation of control measures through re-establishment and improvement of primary healthcare delivery should be given high priority, especially in the absence of pre-disaster surveillance data.
Several novel viruses have been recently identified in respiratory samples. However, the epidemiology of these viruses in tropical countries remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of the epidemiology of novel respiratory viruses, including human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, new subtypes of human coronavirus (NL63 and HKU1), KI virus, WU virus, and Melaka virus in the Philippines, a tropical country. Nasopharyngeal aspirates from 465 patients with influenza-like illness were collected in 2006 and 2007. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR were performed to detect viruses from culture-negative specimens. Human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, human coronavirus HKU1, KI virus, and WU virus were detected for the first time in the Philippines; Melaka virus was not found.