Could Malaria Be The Next Eradicated Human Disease?

As many are aware, Malaria has been endemic to Africa for as long as history has been studied. However, this article, written by Martin Edlund, from CNN suspects that Malaria will soon be a thing of the past on this continent.  The article states, "we have turned a corner in the malaria fight. We have reduced the rate of deaths from malaria among children under 5 by 51% from 2000 to 2012 -- halfway to our goal of ending death by mosquito bite." This mosquito-borne disease is both preventable and treatable. The mortality rate in children has decreased by 20% since the year 2000 due to the handwork and fundraising done by Malaria No More, a foundation dedicated to the reduction of death, especially in children, caused by Malaria. While the disease is still taking a great toll on the African population, it is slowly but surely being treated and prevented because of rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies, and even because of the use of cellphones. All of these factors may lead to Malaria being eradicated in Africa at the least.

This disease reminds me of the bubonic plague which we studied earlier in the year because it is spread through an animal vector. Unfortunately, this factor makes the disease more difficult to control. Unlike Smallpox which was only spread from person to person, Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease, making it harder to contain and prevent the spread of disease. 

I found this article to be very exciting and inspiring. It is very comforting to know that diseases are not something we have to live in fear of. As shown in history, and in the present day, infectious diseases can be treated, even in the poorest of countries. While it may be more difficult to prevent and cure disease in third world countries, it is still very possible. Foundations like Malaria No More give hope that this awful disease which, "literally sucks the lifeblood (energy, livelihood and productivity) from the African continent" can be gotten rid of. This article leads me to believe that there may be a possibility that Malaria can be eradicated in the future. 
Read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/opinion/edlund-malaria-progress/index.html?iref=allsearch
http://redbrickreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/malaria-2013.html

Polio Free for 10 years and counting, Europe may become infected

A confirmed polio outbreak in Syria, which is the first major occurrence in 14 years in this area, has jeopardized the global campaign to eliminate the disease. Polio can be transmitted orally, through coughs and sneezes, or through infected fecal matter. Although most of the world is protected because of immunization, which at one point put polio on the brink of elimination, many think that Europe is vulnerable and in danger of a recurrence of polio.

Millions of Syrian refugees have fled to Europe because of the war, which is why many believe that an outbreak could occur. Also, the safest vaccine, which is IPV, rather than the oral version, has some unintentional problems: “Patients treated with IPV can still be infected with wild poliovirus — the naturally occurring virus that causes polio — and transmit it to others, usually without any obvious signals (only about one in 200 infectees show signs of paralysis).” This means that people fleeing from the war could be infected without knowing it, and could easily spread polio to parts of the world that are not vaccinated.

A Syrian refugee camp

But there is no need for concern here in the United States- as long as immunization rates remain high. This is the largest vaccination effort in the Middle East, and the fact that polio could begin to spread again is somewhat disheartening. This outbreak shows the magnitude to which disease and war can disrupt our world. There is some controversy to the idea that the Syrian outbreak will spread to Europe, and some officials believe that it is more likely to come from other infected countries.

In class, we spent a large amount of time discussing the smallpox eradication and the ways that it was achieved. This article about polio eradication relates to that because of the efforts that are involved to vaccinate people and stop the disease. Unfortunately, the polio vaccine does not always fully protect from the virus, and vaccinated people can still become infected and spread the disease.

This article really made me think about the circumstances that these refugees are living in. Most are in unsanitary camps and can easily communicate disease to one another. We are extremely fortunate to not be in a crisis as they are, and I think that all efforts to prevent the spread of this horrible disease show the compassion that some people have, because the aid groups are risking their lives to help others.

Read more at: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/19/5117168/polio-outbreak-in-syria-could-threaten-europe-experts-warn 

Lyme Disease is on the Rise!

In the article "Lyme Disease Rates Rise in Northern US" by Karen Rowan, Lyme disease is on the rise in the United States in the north eastern states and in the northern Midwest but decreasing in the southern states. Between 1992 and 2007 there have been significant increases of Lyme disease in the northern US.  Researchers wrote: “our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that increases in Lyme disease incidence in recent decades are attributable at least in part to the effects of climate change,".  

 

Studies have suggested that the warming temperatures at the northern latitudes allow the Ixodes ticks, which carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, to migrate north. There seems to be a decrease in the south because the temperature is warmer which allows the expansion of lizards, who are “dead-end hosts”, which means that they do not transmit the disease to humans.

 

When I first read this article I was surprised that there is an increase in Lyme disease in north eastern states in the US. I also was surprised it was because of the climate changes because all the time we hear about how things are changing because of global warming, but this is exactly like that.

 

The climate changing has led the southern states to have an increase in lizard populations, which led the Lyme disease carriers to travel north. In class, we’ve learned about different modes of transmission and in this case the tick is the carrier of the disease which attaches its self to humans, and animals. This article has helped me see that Lyme disease is on the rise in the north eastern states and to take preventative measures against getting the disease.

 

 

 

This image shows an adult female, an adult male, a nymph and a larva of the tick species Ixodes scapularis, which carries Lyme disease and babesiosis.

Credit: CDC, courtesy of Dr. Marc Dolan

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/28798-lyme-disease-rise-northern-states.html

Rise in Measles and Other Infectious Diseases has U.S. Public Health Experts on Alert

Diseases such as Measles have a high rate of transmission, which is why every American State requires children to get immunized by the time they go to preschool. However throughout the years many parents have opted out of the vaccination for religious, philosophical and other beliefs. The number of children not becoming vaccinated against these infectious diseases has been on the rise since 1990. This article discusses why and how the U.S public health has been on the look out for cases of infectious diseases that could potentially infect many people quickly. Early detection is key to the public health experts when trying to prevent people from getting these infectious diseases. The U.S public heath experts are trying to vaccinate as many people as they can against these harmful diseases in hope that in the future the number of cases found per year will decrease. 

When first reading this article I had no idea measles had been "eliminated" in the U.S in 2000. However, as good as that logistic sounds, there have been over 161 measles cases across 16 different states this year alone; the highest number of cases since 2011 (when 220 were reported). I find it easier to picture what the impact of infectious diseases have on a community or on people by numbers. As we can clearly see the U.S is suppose to be gone with measles for good! But the numbers do not lie, and we still see cases each year…which brings to mind one question. How are people contracting this infectious disease? I would take a guess many public health experts ask this question as well because they too want to protect the U.S from getting infectious diseases. 

This article reminded me of the public health measures people would follow when the smallpox epidemics were occurring. The people during the smallpox epidemics would stack stones in their windows to keep disease away, they would flee for their life, some would get inoculated, others would pray, etc. Infectious diseases such as measles and pertussis are highly contagious meaning getting yourself vaccinated is crucial. Since we have the luxury of becoming immune, why not take that simple task for granted? The benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh any risks the diseases may offer.  

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20131130/MAGAZINE/311309983/rise-in-measles-and-other-infectious-diseases-has-u-s-public-health

Foot-and-Mouth Disease: More Than Just a Danger to Infants

Foot-and-Mouth disease has been popping up in recent places, but surprisingly, they are not cases involving small children or infants. Actually, they are not even human. Cattle have become the victim of a FMD epidemic, mostly around the areas of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai. The Animal Husbandry reported that 1,200 cattle have died from the disease. The spread of the epidemic disease has been observed to have started around January of this year. 


In the article, State President of the Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association, K.A. Sengottuvel states, "In the recent days the disease has claimed the lives of hundreds of cows across the State as it was not taken seriously by the Animal Husbandry Department." Maybe if the threat was taken care of immediately, there would not have been so many deaths. 


The article, "Foot-and-Mouth Disease Turning Epidemic", is written by P. Oppili. The date of the article is November 15, 2013. The newspaper that the article is located in is called The Hindu. The article can be founded at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/footandmouth-disease-turning-epidemic/article5351734.ece

(Source: http://www.feedmanufacturers.net/animal/livestock/cattle-2/)

My first reaction to the article was to think that this was not a serious case that should concern me because it is effecting animals and not humans. However, the ranks of which the cattle are dying and the fact that the cause is unknown is unsettling. 

The epidemic that could be most relatable to this cattle FMD epidemic would be Cowpox. While studying about Smallpox, Cowpox came into play when vaccination was experimented. Cowpox was originated from cows, and FMD has broken out to a large amount of cattle. These cases show just how much diseases can effect animals, and especially cattle. 

There is controversy in the article over how much the government should step in and fix the problem at hand. Sengottuvel also said, “the government is carrying out the drive once a year whereas it should be carried out twice a year – once before the South-West and the North-East monsoons”. Vaccinations should not be taken lightly in any case of an epidemic where fatalities occur. 

The article, while introducing a new epidemic, does not sell the idea that this problem needs to be fixed right away. Hundreds have died, but the fact that they are cattle and not human does not make the situation seem threatening. This may effect business for the people that own cattle, especially in this area, but it does not appeal to the majority of people. The article could've gone more in depth with how the death of cattle has effected the area and possible outcomes if the problem is never cured. 

Meningitis Menace at UC Santa Barbara

Recently at the University of California Santa Barbara, there has been an outbreak of meningitis. There have been four cases at UC Santa Barbara, but also eight cases of the same unique strain at Princeton University. The article is titled "Meningitis Outbreak at UC Santa Barbara" and was written by Sydney Lupkin from ABC News, on December 3rd. A few kids began getting sick about 3 weeks ago. One victim had to have both of his legs amputated. The strain of meningitis is called meningococcal type B. In the article, it states that "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are not connected because the diseases do not have the same "fingerprint." This statement shows that the two outbreaks are not related, because they did not originate from the same place. This is important to know when studying how to prevent further spread of meningitis. 

When I first read this article it scared me a little, since I'm going to college next year, and this rare strain of meningitis is being found currently in colleges. There is no vaccine for this strain. From what I know from class, not having a vaccine can make the affected and the people around them very nervous and afraid. One student that knew one of the affected people said, "It's just kind of scary because there is a constant fear." Constant fear is something we know at lot about fro studying smallpox and the black plague for example. 

The only time I have experienced somewhat of this fear is when swine flu occurred a few years ago. Everyone was always talking about it, and always afraid it would affect people near us. There was a vaccine for this strain of course, but it is still a scary situation when a new strain of a virus comes around. 

I thought this article was very informative about the situation at UC Santa Barbara and across the country at Princeton. I find it ironic that this is happening in two places so different from each other, with no relationship between them. Now I'm left wondering how the spread actually did begin, and waiting to see if this situation gets better, since it is something that is having a huge impact on the lives of the students and families. 

Ivy League Meningococcus Arrives in Santa Barbara

At the University of California, Santa Barbara, four students came down with meningococcal disease all in the same three-week period in November of this year. The first student is now permanently disabled and is still in the hospital, but two others have recovered and are healthy enough to return to classes. The fourth is also expected to recover. The four students contracted the type B form of the bacteria, which is the same strain that is causing an outbreak of meningitis at Princeton University. Princeton is currently making available to their students a vaccine for the special strain of bacteria called Bexsero, produced by Novartis. The vaccine is not approved in the United States but has been cleared for use in Europe and Australia.

Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, also called meningococcus. This disease is different from the more well-known meningitis. Meningococcal disease can develop into meningitis, but it can also cause blood infections that develop into sepsis. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, or the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal chord, and can be caused by a number of things, such as physical trauma, cancer, and even certain drugs.

A picture of N. meningitidis, from Bioquell's page about the bacterium.

Meningitis symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting, a stiff neck, rashes, confusion, and increased sensitivity to light. If untreated, it can cause hearing and brain damage, limb amputations, and can eventually be fatal. Because the bacteria is spread through saliva and respiratory droplets, UCSB is asking all of its fraternities and sororities to keep from having large parties, where cups could move from one person to another.

Bacterial meningitis is a rare form of meningitis, and the sort caused by the type B strain of N. meningitidis is even rarer. The article states that "in 2012, there were 480 cases of bacterial meningitis in the United States, according to the CDC. Of those, 160 were group B." Only 1/3 of bacterial meningitis cases in the U.S. last year were type B. It is so rare that the U.S. does not even have a vaccine that protects against this strain, which is why Princeton made an unlicensed vaccine available to their students.

I thought I'd share this news because reminded me of the 2012 meningitis outbreak in Massachusetts that was linked to contaminated medication. However, this has different implications for the people involved. In Massachusetts, we could blame the outbreak on the mistakes of pharmaceutical companies, but in California and New Jersey, there is no one to blame, nothing to distract from the struggle to keep the outbreak from turning into a full-fledged epidemic.

I think Princeton's decision to give their students the option of getting the type B vaccine was a good call, despite it not being licensed for use in the U.S. The vaccine is not untested; after all, both Europe and Australia have cleared its use. Also, as I previously mentioned, there is no licensed vaccine for meningitis B in the U.S. Being able to have this method of protecting themselves provides a level of comfort and security for those at Princeton who have not yet been infected.

Also, how the bacterium spreads (via saliva and respiratory droplets) reminded me of how smallpox spreads. Now eradicated, smallpox was spread through respiratory droplets, and it left its mark on the world. If this meningococcal outbreak reaches the extent of some of history's smallpox epidemics, it could devastate the United States. However, that will probably never happen. We have far better health care today than ever in the past, and our knowledge of how diseases are spread and how to treat different diseases has increased to such an extent that death tolls like those seen in the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721 are few and far between.


Thanks to everyone who read through everything and managed to get down this far. Here's the original article, for anyone who's interested in reading it themselves:
"4th case of meningococcal disease at UCSB" by Elizabeth Landau, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/health/santa-barbara-illness/

If you want to learn more about meningococcal disease and/or how to protect yourself from it, the Centers for Disease Control has a page all about it that you can find here: http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/