Communicable diseases
Natural disasters do not cause massive outbreaks of infectious diseases, although in some circumstances they may increase the odds of their spreading. In the short term, the increase in morbidity is frequently the result of fecal contamination of drinking water and food, causing gastrointestinal diseases. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the risk of contamination grows—as in the case of refugee camps—as existing sanitation services such as water supply and sewerage systems break down and it becomes impossible to maintain or restore public health programs