Injury and illness surveillance in hospitals and acute-care facilities after Hurricanes Katrina And Rita--New Orleans area, Louisiana, September 25-October 15, 2005.

In response to Hurricane Katrina, CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LDHH) implemented active surveillance on September 9, 2005, to monitor for injuries and illnesses at functioning hospitals and other acute-care facilities in the greater New Orleans area (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, and St. Tammany parishes). On September 20, the system was interrupted because of mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Rita. Surveillance was reestablished on September 24, and repopulation of Orleans Parish began on September 30. This report updates a previous report on injuries and illness surveillance during September 8-25, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina and describes frequencies of these events during the days after Hurricane Rita and during repopulation of the city. The results indicate that 17,446 visits occurred at participating facilities during this period. Whereas the proportion of relief workers who had acute respiratory illnesses and unintentional injuries was higher compared with residents, the proportion of falls and motor-vehicle crashes among relief workers was lower. Moreover, although the collection of detailed data using a paper-based active surveillance system was required in response to Hurricane Katrina, the burden of this system required the implementation of an electronic syndromic surveillance system, which is more sustainable.