Audrey Stewart-Hinchcliffe | After Hurricane Melissa: Environmental impact on public health and safety

After the hurricane, the environment is impacted by flooding, erosion, and contamination from sewage, dead animals, debris, agricultural waste and chemical substances. The effect is already being felt.

While this article was being written, the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) announced the outbreak of the deadly leptospirosis (Friday, November 21, 2025). The Minister posited that “the outbreak is directly linked to environmental conditions created by Hurricane Melissa which increased exposure to contaminated water and soil”.

Leptospirosis is commonly transmitted through contact with urine or bodily fluids from infected animals.

In my opening sentence I stated that impact on the environment includes dead animals, hence, early in the aftermath of the hurricane the effect on public health is being felt by the outbreak of leptospirosis, a direct result of contact with dead and infected animal waste.

It is therefore clear that exposure to dead animals contaminating flood waters as mentioned – sewage, chemicals and debris – can result in the transmission of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. This exposure may lead to infections and infectious diseases, including respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Other health and safety issues include wound infection resulting in tetanus caused from injuries sustained during removal of debris/garbage and clean-up in agricultural areas. Already, the MOHW has reported tracking two cases of tetanus – one each in Westmoreland and St Elizabeth.

Tetanus is a serious infection of the nervous system caused by toxin-producing bacteria.

At the time of writing, there are no reports of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases, but we must not be complacent as these are ever looming. The environmental conditions are conducive to their outbreak.

Further impacts include physical injury, electrocution, carbon monoxide poisoning from misuse of generators and other toxic chemicals, and drowning.

The human death toll is still to be verified.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: INCREASED HEALTH RISKS

MENTAL HEALTH: Among the foremost health risks from the immediate psychological trauma are mental health issues which can lead to long-term medical conditions. When faced with massive property damage, the loss of livelihood, the loss of loved ones, disruption of family life and displacement from communities, the feeling of anxiety, fear, helplessness and stress become overwhelming.

VECTOR BORNE DISEASES: A feature of the aftermath of the hurricane is stagnant water which is the breeding site for mosquitoes responsible for diseases among which are dengue fever, zika, Chikungunya and West Nile viruses, and diseases spread by rodents, such as leptospirosis. Other consequences include an increase in ticks and mites.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS: Exposure to pollutants increases health risks, especially by causing or worsening respiratory conditions like sinusitis, asthma, pneumonia, and carbon monoxide poisoning. These include raw sewage, waste water further contaminated by chemicals, agricultural waste and other biological contaminants. Pollutants can also cause the worsening of heart disease and cancer.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS, MOLD GROWTH: The presence of mold can either cause or contribute to respiratory and eye problems, including allergies, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and other airway inflammatory conditions; itching of eyes, nose and throat and skin rash.

AIR POLLUTION: from fires, chemicals and debris from damaged structures.

Other health risks may arise from hurricane-related environmental conditions or pre-existing ones may worsen.

Environmental hazards impacting public health and safety are both short-term and long-term, as can be seen from the inexhaustive listing above. Together, physical hazards, chemical waste exposure, contaminated stagnant water, mold and mildew, among others, will need to be addressed early in the restoration effort, to reduce or eliminate long-term environmental impacts.

- Dr. M. Audrey Stewart-Hinchcliffe, CD, JP, BA, M.Sc., DBE (h.c.), is the Chairman of Manpower & Maintenance Services (MMS) Limited Group. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com