Public health aspects of the Queensland floods Dec 2010–Jan 2011

Abstract

In Dec 2010–Jan 2011 extreme weather events caused severe flooding in Queensland, killing 35 people, directly affecting more than 200 000 people and causing billions of dollars of damage, including damage to public health infrastructure such as water treatment and waste disposal operations. A comprehensive public health response addressed key aspects of water quality, food safety, waste disposal, vector control, vaccine preventable diseases and public information during the recovery. Disease surveillance was based on notifications, emergency department attendance and reports from Evacuation Centres. Notifications of leptospirosis were increased during this period but there was no significant increase in reports of gastrointestinal or vector borne diseases when compared with previous years. An increase in hospital presentations with cellulitis was noted. This presentation will review aspects of the public health response in Queensland. In Dec 2010–Jan 2011 extreme weather events caused severe flooding in Queensland, killing 35 people, directly affecting more than 200 000 people and causing billions of dollars of damage, including damage to public health infrastructure such as water treatment and waste disposal operations. A comprehensive public health response addressed key aspects of water quality, food safety, waste disposal, vector control, vaccine preventable diseases and public information during the recovery. Disease surveillance was based on notifications, emergency department attendance and reports from Evacuation Centres. Notifications of leptospirosis were increased during this period but there was no significant increase in reports of gastrointestinal or vector borne diseases when compared with previous years. An increase in hospital presentations with cellulitis was noted. This presentation will review aspects of the public health response in Queensland.