Officials warn of health hazards caused by Harvey flooding

People make their way through a flooded Houston neighborhood.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

As rain from Tropical Storm Harvey continues to pummel Texas, causing catastrophic flooding, officials are warning residents of some other health threats they could soon be facing.

Dr. Robert Glatter from New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital told CBS News on Monday about the many dangers that could be lurking in floodwater. With rain expected to fall for the next several days, people are at risk of drowning, and even if the water is shallow, if it's moving fast enough, someone could be swept away. Since you can't see what's at the bottom of the floodwater, never walk in it barefoot; there could be sharp objects, like glass shards, underneath. Then, there's the "bacteria, different viruses, and fungi, all of which can make people sick," Glatter said. Hepatitis A, cholera, typhoid fever, and the bacterial infection Leptospirosis are just some of the possibilities.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.