Preventing Diarrheal Illness After A Disaster

Drink and use safe water

• Listen to local officials to find out if your water is safe.
• Use bottled water for drinking, washing and preparing food, making ice, and brushing your teeth.
• If you do not have bottled water, boil or disinfect your water to make it safe.

Wash your hands often with soap and safe water

• Before you eat or prepare food.
• Before feeding your children.
• Before and after treating wounds or taking care of someone who is sick.
• After going to the bathroom, changing diapers, or cleaning a child after they have gone to the bathroom.

If no soap is available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Eat safe food

• Boil it, cook it, peel it, or throw it away.
• Avoid meat and dairy products that have not been refrigerated.
• Cook food well. Eat it hot and keep it covered.
• Avoid raw foods other than fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself.

Clean up safely

• Clean food preparation areas and kitchenware with soap and safe water and let dry completely before reuse.
• Wash yourself, your children, diapers, and clothes 100 feet away from drinking water sources.

Avoid flood water or contaminated water bodies

• Wash your hands with soap and water after contact with flood waters.
• Do not allow children to play in flood water areas.
• Do not allow children to play with toys that have touched flood water and have not been disinfected.