Communicable diseases outbreaks after natural disasters: A systematic scoping review for incidence, risk factors and recommendations

Background

Natural hazards can play a considerable role in the emergence and spread of infectious diseases (ID). There are various risk factors associated with disease outbreaks following disasters.

Objective

This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic analysis of communicable disease epidemic and their associated risk factors following disasters worldwide.

Method

This is a systematic review adhering to the PRISMA Scoping Review criteria, encompassing various types of descriptive and analytical research, such as cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, and ecological studies. Published articles to the end of March 2022 were searched on the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. The primary objective of this review was to examine the incidence and/or prevalence of ID following natural disasters.

Results

After screening 12,151 titles, 72 articles were included in the final analysis. Increased ID incidence rates and outbreaks after floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical storms, heavy rainfall, hurricanes and tornadoes, extreme heat waves, and drought have been reported. Most commonly, outbreaks of diarrhea were reported after floods, followed by leptospirosis and malaria. After earthquakes, an increased incidence of upper and lower respiratory infections was recorded. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections and cutaneous leishmaniasis were noted after earthquakes. Tetanus, measles, and malaria epidemics occurred post-tsunami, while cholera and dengue fever were predominant after cyclonic events and monsoons. Socio-economic status, poor water supply, low sanitation & hygiene, poor food security, sex, age, occupation, and co-existing disease are important risk factors of epidemics after disasters.

Conclusion

This review outlines the important ID and major risk factors in the population exposed to natural disasters, providing valuable insights for policymakers and disaster risk managers.