MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Post-Earthquake Injuries at a Field Hospital — Haiti, 2010

CDC Injury Center Media Relations
(770) 488-4902

Approximately 28 percent of all injured patients reporting to the University of Miami Global Institute/ Project Medishare (UMGI/PM) field hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from January 12 through May 28, 2010 had earthquake-related injuries, according to a retrospective medical record review, conducted by UMGI/PM and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury-related diagnoses were recorded for 581 patients, of which 346 (60 percent) required a surgical procedure. The most common diagnoses included fractures/dislocations, post-traumatic wound infections, and head, face, and brain injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery interventions. Further, the most common injury-related surgical procedures were removing de-vitalized or dead tissue from a wound bed/skin grafting, orthopedic, and surgical amputation. Planners and field hospitals engaging in long-term post-earthquake response in resource-limited settings should prepare for both initial earthquake-related injuries followed by sustained numbers of other injuries, such as motor vehicle crash-related injuries or violence-related injuries. Moderate and severe earthquakes frequently result in substantial mortality and an initial surge of complex injuries such as fractures, skin injuries, and amputations, followed by a sustained presentation of injuries.

2. Public Health Response to a Rabid Dog in an Animal Shelter — North Dakota and Minnesota, 2010

Loreeta Canton or Stacy Ebrel
North Dakota Department of Health Media Relations
(701) 328-2372

This report describes the public health response to the identification of a rabid dog in an animal shelter. Rabies is a lethal disease in humans; therefore, an immediate investigation was begun using animal shelter records and a public notification to identify possible human and animal contacts to the rabid dog. Twenty-one persons, including nine animal shelter employees, received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. Thirty-six dogs without evidence of current rabies vaccination were euthanized due to potential contact with the rabid dog. Because animal shelter employees have the potential to come into contact with rabid animals, they should consider receiving the rabies vaccine series prior to starting their job duties (preexposure prophylaxis). This event also highlights the continued importance of routine rabies vaccination of domestic animals.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES