FEMA CDC Accessible: Plague and Tetanus Rumors Debunked
1,304 views · Published 27 September 2017 · 2:05 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: FEMA · 2017 · Education
Dana Robison from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) debunk the rumor that flooding increases the risk of getting plague or tetanus from floodwaters after a disaster in American Sign Language (ASL). Closed captioning is available in English, Chinese, German, Hindi, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. [Transcript:] Hi, my name is Dana Robison, and I’m from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as CDC. I’m here today to talk about rumors that you may get the plague and an increased risk of tetanus from floodwater. Both rumors are false. It is rare to get the plague here in the United States, and it is spread through fleas or by touching an animal that has been infected – not from floodwater. We are not expecting to see an increased risk of the plague due to the recent disaster. Also, if you’ve been exposed to floodwater, you are not at an increased risk of tetanus. But, some people may have open wounds such as a cut or scrape that become contaminated with floodwater, human or animal waste, soil, dirt, or saliva. If you have an open wound and it has been exposed to contaminated water, you should treat it as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming infected. Besides treatment of these wounds, you should be up to date with your tetanus vaccine. Vaccination and good wound care are important to help prevent tetanus infection. There are tetanus vaccine shots available if you need one. If you are unsure, you should talk with your primary care physician about when you received your last tetanus shot. It is recommended that people of all ages get a booster shot every 10 years to keep a high level of protection against this serious disease. In some situations, the doctor may decide that a tetanus vaccine is needed sooner. To recap, remember you can only get the plague through fleas or by touching an animal that has been infected with plague, and there is no increased risk of tetanus from floodwater. CDC recommends staying out of floodwater as much as possible, and if you come into contact with floodwater, wash yourself with soap and clean water. Thank you.
