Risk of infection after the Nepal earthquake.

In Nepal, earthquakes on April 25 and May 12, 2015 greatly damaged provision of health-care services. A May 26 WHO report about Nepal’s post-earthquake situation said that the devastating earthquakes have aff ected 4·2 million people, killing 8659 and causing injury to a further 21 925. The quakes have also damaged nearly 1085 health-care facilities across the country. In the aftermath of the earthquakes, WHO has raised concerns about the transmission of infectious diseases across Nepal. As it pointed out in its May 26 report, “population displacement, crowding, limited quantities of safe water, inadequate hygiene and toilet facilities, and unsafe practices in handling and preparing food are all associated with disease transmission. There is a risk of an increase in communicable diseases, including diar rhoea, respiratory infections, and mosquitoborne diseases, particularly with the rainy season approaching soon”. Other experts have also expressed to The Lancet Infectious Diseases their views on the possibility of infectious disease outbreaks in Nepal and the country’s preparedness for tackling such events. Thekkekara Jacob John, an infectious disease specialist and Chairman of the Child Health Foundation (New Delhi, India) said that after earthquakes and the subsequent damage to both housing and sanitary installations, various infectious diseases can spread. If water becomes contaminated with human faeces, several pathogens can proliferate, he noted, such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysenteries, and jaundice caused by hepatitis E and A viruses. He