INTRODUCTION: Floods and other severe weather events are anticipated to increase as a result of global climate change. Floods can lead to outbreaks of @entity1902 and other @entity166 due to disruption of sewage and water infrastructure and impacts on sanitation and hygiene. Floods have also been indirectly associated with outbreaks through population displacement and crowding. METHODS: We conducted a case-crossover study to investigate the association between flooding and emergency room visits for @entity344 (ER-GI) in Massachusetts for the years 2003 through 2007. We obtained @entity549 from the State of Massachusetts and records of floods from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Storm Events Database. @entity549 were considered exposed if a flood occurred in the town of residence within three hazard periods of the visit: 0-4 days; 5-9 days; and 10-14 days. A time-stratified bi-directional design was used for control selection, matching on day of the week with two weeks lead or lag time from the ER-GI visit. Fixed effect logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk of @entity549 following the flood. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 270,457 @entity549 and 129 floods occurred in Massachusetts over the study period. Across all counties, flooding was associated with an increased risk for ER-GI in the 0-4 day period after flooding (Odds Ratio: 1.08; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.03-1.12); but not the 5-9 days (Odds Ratio: 0.995; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.955-1.04) or the 10-14 days after (Odds Ratio: 0.966, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.927-1.01). Similar results were observed for different definitions of ER-GI. The effect differed across counties, suggesting local differences in the risk and impact of flooding. Statewide, across the study period, an estimated 7% of @entity549 in the 0-4 days after a flood event were attributable to flooding.

Flooding and emergency room visits for XXXX in massachusetts: a case-crossover study.

@entity549 :: ('MESH:D064726', 'Disease') :: ['ER-GI visits'] @entity166 :: ('MESH:D003141', 'Disease') :: ['infectious diseases'] @entity344 :: ('MESH:D005767', 'Disease') :: ['gastrointestinal illness'] @entity1902 :: ('MESH:D005759', 'Disease') :: ['gastroenteritis']
@entity344 :: (MESH:D005767,Disease) :: ['gastrointestinal illness']
