Health Alert
Earthquake in Nepal
Updated May 27, 2015What is the current situation?
CDC recommends that US residents avoid all nonessential travel to Nepal(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/nepal?s_cid=ncezid-dgmq-travel-single-001). If you must travel, such as for humanitarian aid work, then protect yourself by following CDC’s advice below. Additionally, as of May 2, 2015, the US Department of State recommends that US citizens defer nonessential travel to Nepal.
On Saturday, April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck 48 miles (77 km) northwest of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. On Tuesday, May 12, 2015, a new 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck southeast of Kodari (Sindhupalchowk District) 76 miles northeast of Kathmandu. This is a location that was already affected by the April 25 earthquake. According to the World Health Organization, as of May 14, 2015, the National Emergency Operation Center has confirmed more than 1,900 injuries and 65 deaths in previously affected districts due to the new earthquake. This is in addition to more than 8,200 deaths and over 17,800 injured from the April 25th earthquake.
Significant infrastructure damage has caused problems with clean water, sanitation, food supply, electricity, transportation, shelter, and medical care. The monsoon season in Nepal is approaching, and heavy rainfall and flooding may further increase the spread of foodborne and waterborne diseases, as well as diseases spread by mosquitoes.
What can travelers do to protect themselves?
If you plan to travel to Nepal in the near future, consider postponing your plans. If travel is unavoidable or if you are traveling for humanitarian aid(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/humanitarian-aid-workers), follow the precautions below.
Before your trip:
- Talk to your doctor or nurse about vaccines and medicines recommended for Nepal(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/nepal?s_cid=ncezid-dgmq-travel-single-001). Infectious diseases can increase after a natural disaster.
- Pack a travel health kit(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/pack-smart#travelhealthkit). (Humanitarian workers(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/humanitarian-aid-workers) may need to pack additional items.)
- Consider travel health and medical evacuation insurance(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/insurance).
During your trip:
- Prevent illness and injury:
- Deaths after a natural disaster are most often due to blunt trauma, crush-related injuries, and drowning.
- Use caution around downed power lines, water-affected electrical outlets, and interrupted gas lines.
- Avoid stray or frightened animals(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/be-safe-around-animals). Seek medical help immediately if you are bitten or scratched by an animal and wash out the wound.
- Avoid driving through moving water.
- Avoid direct contact with human remains. (If you are a relief worker helping with human remains, see the Interim Health Recommendations for Workers Who Handle Human Remains After a Disaster.)
- Avoid bug bites(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites):
Mosquito illness such as malaria(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/malaria), dengue(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/dengue), and Japanese encephalitis(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/japanese-encephalitis) are found in the Nepal. - Follow food and water safety guidelines(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/food-water-safety):Water and food contamination can lead to illness such as typhoid fever(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/typhoid) and hepatitis A(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/hepatitis-a). See Food and Water Concerns after an earthquake.
- Avoid flood water:
- Avoid swallowing flood waters or water from lakes, rivers, and swamps.
- Avoid wading in flooded areas, especially if you have any cuts or abrasions.
- Wear protective clothing, especially footwear, if you must wade in flood waters or other areas that might be contaminated.
- Avoid mold contamination:
- If cleaning out a building destroyed by flooding, wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, goggles, and a tight-fitting approved N-95 respirator. Travelers should take sufficient PPE with them, as it may be scarce.
- Keep hands, skin, and clothing clean and free from mold-contaminated dust.
- If you feel sick during your trip—
- Talk to a doctor or nurse if you feel seriously ill, especially if you have a fever.
- For more information about medical care abroad, see Getting Health Care Abroad.
- Avoid contact with other people while you are sick.
After your trip:
- If you are not feeling well after your trip, you may need to see a doctor. If you need help finding a travel medicine specialist, see Find a Clinic(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/find-clinic). Be sure to tell your doctor about your travel, including where you went and what you did on your trip. Also tell your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling.
- If you are having a hard time coping after your trip, you may need to see a doctor or consular, see Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event.
- If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.
- Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If you become ill with a fever either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the doctor about your travel history.
- If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.
- For more information, see Getting Sick after Travel(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/getting-sick-after-travel).
Clinician Information:
- Natural Disasters & Environmental Hazards(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/natural-disasters-and-environmental-hazards) in CDC Health Information for International Travel -“Yellow Book”