The earthquake that hit Haiti last year left millions of people homeless, injured or dead. But the damage didn’t stop there: The quake also brought back an infectious disease the country hadn’t seen for a hundred years. Caused by rod-shaped bacteria (called Vibrio cholerae) that thrive in unsanitary water, cholera is not usually a problem in developed countries. But urban slums, refugee camps and cities lacking good infrastructure are hotspots for the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

With wrecked water treatment systems and crowded conditions, post-earthquake Haiti was vulnerable. The United Nations reported that more than 4 500 people in Haiti died from cholera infections in the wake of the earthquake. National Institutes of Health-supported scientists are working to help avoid outbreaks like Haiti’s in the future by studying how cholera spreads, and designing tactics to test for it. New tools such as water contaminant sensors and computer models are better equipping scientists, policymakers and public health workers to contain infectious diseases after disasters strike.

Source: National Institute of General Medical Sciences