| TO THE EDITOR—While the country had
yet to fully recover from the devastating
twin earthquakes in 2012 [1–4], Kaki (in
Bushehr province, Iran) was jolted by a
6.1-magnitude earthquake on 9April 2013,
leaving 37 people dead and more than a
thousand injured. Within few hours from
the incident, immediate rescue measures
were taken and the survivors were temporarily
sheltered.
Lying on the coastal region of the
Persian Gulf, Bushehr has a hot desert
climate with long summers lasting from
April to October. This distinct climate
predisposes Bushehr’s inhabitants to gastrointestinal
and vector-borne diseases
throughout the year, in addition to hazardous
animal bites and stings. Outbreak
of such infectious concerns becomes more
tangible in natural disasters, demanding
particular measures [5]. Hence, following
the Bushehr earthquake, immediate preventive
measures were taken to provide
ample amounts of bottled water and
canned and dry food for designated shelters.
Additionally, considering the fact
that the affected area is a malaria- and
leishmaniasis-prone region [6, 7], mosquito
nets and insect repellents were distributed,
and indoor residual spraying
of the provided temporary shelters was
performed. Furthermore, antivenom serums
were sent to the earthquake zone
for the treatment of highly probable
casualties. Thanks to the early precautionary
actions, no case of infectious or
diarrheal outbreak has been hitherto reported
by the Center for Disease Control
at the Iranian Ministry of Health. Nonetheless,
further monitoring should be
scheduled for the probable outbreaks of
infectious ( particularly diarrheal) diseases.
In addition, people injured by
the rubble with no or incomplete history
of previous tetanus immunization should
be given supplementary vaccines and antitoxins |