Prevention of Infectious Diseases after an Earthquake

The earthquake in Kahramanmaraþ, Turkey, on February 6, 2023, was recorded as one of the most severe earthquakes recently. Because of the magnitude of the intensity of the earthquake and its coverage of many provinces, it had devastating effects. In addition to the impact of the disaster after the quake, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases were facilitated by insufficient safe water, housing problems, inadequate nutrition, inadequate hygiene conditions, and many individuals living in public areas. In this context, respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, skin infections, and vector-borne infections are more common after disasters. Necessary measures should be taken to establish an effective surveillance system for preventing and protecting infectious diseases after the earthquake, plan new settlements, continue immunization services, access safe water, and provide adequate and balanced nutrition, sanitation, vector control, and health education.