Lecture 6- Public Health during Disaster Response

Question 1

What are the steps in disaster response

Answer 1

1. Declare emergency
2. Veterinarians for veterinary medical operations
3. Send animals to shelter, further care or morgue

Question 2

What are some factors that increase risk of disease in a disaster

Answer 2

Animal stress, overcrowding, inclement weather conditions, exposure to wildlife, vector population proliferation, disposal of animal waste, food and water contamination, animal abandonment

Question 3

What are some general prevention methods

Answer 3

Clean water, safe food, wash hands, prompt disposal of feces, animal bite prevention, prevent contact with wild or feral animals, prompt disposal of carcasses

Question 4

What are some zoonotic diseases that occur naturally in humans and pose hazard to people handling animal carcasses

Answer 4

Clostridia, cryptosporidium, escherirchia coli, giardia, listeria, salmonella

Question 5

What are 5 common methods of carcass disposal

Answer 5

Burial, incineration, composting, rendering, alkaline hydrolysis

Question 6

What are the 2 methods of burials

Answer 6

Landfill disposal or mass burial

Question 7

Mass burial

Answer 7

Earthen pits, control byproducts of decomposition, 5-10 years decomposition

Question 8

Leachate

Answer 8

Byproduct of mass burial

Question 9

How deep must the hole be for burial

Answer 9

2-6 ft, 6ft if concerned for predation

Question 10

Different types of incineration

Answer 10

Open-air burning, air curtain incineration, fixed facility/crematorium

Question 11

Open air burning

Answer 11

Might need a state permit, shallow pit promotes air supply=hotter/cleaner combustion, large volumes of combustible material, fire hazard

Question 12

Air curtain

Answer 12

Direct high velocity airflow into fire bow or trench, refractory lined or earthen wall, burn material, initial airflow acts as curtain over fire, oxygenates fire, high temperatures

Question 13

Compositing

Answer 13

Carbon source drives decomposition- sawdust, cornstalk, hay

Question 14

Rendering

Answer 14

One of the most efficient, safest methods, limited by capacity of facility

Question 15

What are the advantages of rendering

Answer 15

Highly regulated, usable end product, performed year round

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of rendering

Answer 16

Fixed facilities, biosecurity risk: transport, can’t destroy TSE prions, no companion animal, local and regional availability

Question 17

Alkaline hydrolysis (lye)

Answer 17

Uses heat, pressure time, and alkali catalyst (potassium or sodium hydroxide) to hydrolyze biological materials into small peptides- proteins, sugars, soaps.

End product or effluent is sterilized during hydrolysis process

Question 18

what is rendering

Answer 18

Uses heat to make carcasses pathogen free and can then use meat for animal feed or fuel