CDC: Water Still Main Health Worry
More than a week after Hurricane Katrina barreled over parts of three states, different types of water remain the No. 1 health concern in the New Orleans area, according to the head of the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.
Dr. Julie Gerberding
The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler, "We want to encourage people to stay out of (the flood) water because we know it's not clean. … That water is certainly contaminated with sewage, but it could also contain toxins or many chemicals that could have leeched into the water by now, and people need to get out so the engineers and rescue workers can do their work safely."This danger contributed to Mayor Ray Nagin's decision to make evacuations mandatory.
In addition, Gerberding says, "There is not safe drinking water. The system is not working and there is no source for safe water."
Another thing health officials are keeping wary eyes on is the possibility of diseases being spread in shelters.
"In the shelter situation," Gerberding says, "we are concerned about the possibility of infections spreading from one person to another in those very close quarters. Having said that, it's amazing what's being done to help prevent that.
"In addition to food safety, the emphasis on hand hygiene and common practices to prevent spread has just been enormous. I was in the Astrodome, and there was just a long row of sinks that had been brought in to help people wash their hands, help the health care workers wash their hands. Also, the people staying there are being given those hand-cleaning products that contain gels and so forth."