Tag Archives: World Health Organization

06.13.16
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Measles

Hi Everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting this post out. I graduated from Drew University a few weeks ago and have been busy seeing family and friends. After my short break, I am back and ready to keep you informed! Going forward, I plan to have a new disease post at regular intervals, so make sure to follow Disease Detective to keep up to date!

This week, I am writing about measles, also known as Rubeola. Measles gained popularity in the media last year when a widespread outbreak began at Disneyland California and sickened many Americans across the West coast. Below, I have outlined the major facts about measles.

measles

Measles Virus (nature.com)

  • Measles is an extremely contagious disease that is caused by the measles virus.
  • The measles virus is commonly spread through contact with infected body fluids and through the air via sneezing and coughing.
  • Globally, measles is one of the leading causes of death for young children.
  • The early symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore throat, and a runny nose. As the disease progresses, a rash begins to spread across the body, starting on the face and neck, and extending to the rest of the body and limbs.
  • No antiviral treatments exist to treat patients with measles. The standard of care for those who are sickened involves providing supportive therapy to help the body fight off the virus.
  • Patients who do not receive treatment will usually die from complications as a result of the measles virus. Common complications include severe dehydration and high fever, but some severe case may be accompanied by encephalitis and pneumonia.
  • Fortunately, there is an effective vaccine to protect children and adults from contracting the measles virus. The MMR vaccine (measles-mumps-rubella) is administered in two doses to children to develop immunity against the virus. The measles vaccine has been used for over 50 years and is proven to be highly effective and safe. Additionally, vaccinating a child against the measles is very affordable, costing about $1.
  • The WHO has established a goal to eradicate measles by the year 2020. This goal will be reached through an international vaccine effort, coordinated by the WHO.
  • Many measles outbreaks in the United States, where vaccination against measles is mandatory, arise from one of two sources – either an unvaccinated individual travels oversees and contracts the disease, bringing it home and spreading it to others who are unvaccinated; OR a foreign individual who has the measles comes to the United States and spreads the disease to unvaccinated individuals.
measles-torso_300x174_M2100364

Stereotypical rash found on patients with the measles virus (nhs.uk)

 

Keep following Disease Detective to learn more about other diseases! If you have a suggestion for future topics or hear of an interesting news story about diseases that you would like me to address, please comment below!

For more information:

http://www.cdc.gov/measles/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/

04.28.16
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Chikungunya

When thinking about what to write this week, I was torn with what to write about. One of my classmates suggested that I write about Chikungunya, as she knows it affects many Caribbean countries. Looking into Chikungunya, I also see that this disease ties in nicely with the diseases I have already blogged about because, similar to Zika, it is transmissible via mosquitos. Below, I will talk about some of the major facts about Chikungunya, and describe how it is affecting the world today…

  • Chikungunya is a viral disease that was first noticed in Tanzania in 1952. When the first cases came in, this disease got its name based on one of the major symptoms that it causes. In the Kimakonde language, Chikungunya is derived from a word that means “to become distorted,” referring to the appearance of many patients.
  • Chikungunya is transmitted by mosquitos, primarily the Aedes aeqypti and Aedes albopictus Interestingly, these two species are also famous for transmitting other mosquito-based diseases, such as Dengue and Zika. Once bitten by an infected mosquito, Chikungunya symptoms can set in within 4-8 days.
  • The major symptoms of Chikungunya include a sudden fever with severe joint pain. In most cases, the joint pain disappears after a few days to a week, but sometimes this pain can last several months or years. Other symptoms include nausea, fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches.
  • Chikungunya is difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone, but simple blood tests can quickly and easily confirm the diagnosis.
  • Unfortunately, there are currently no antiviral drugs to fight Chikungunya. When patients are identified, treatment is usually targeted at relieving symptoms. Fever and joint pain are commonly treated using standard treatments. The virus is usually cleared by the body within a week or two, but sometimes it can remain for longer.
  • The best way to prevent yourself from contracting Chikungunya if you are traveling to a region with high Chikungunya levels is to take efforts to prevent mosquito bites. Wearing long-sleeve shirts, pants, and mosquito repellents are internationally accepted standards to prevent mosquito bites. In addition, using mosquito nets, or ensuring that mosquito screens are installed in any room you stay in are also effective ways to minimize your contact with mosquitos.
  • Currently, Chikungunya is afflicting over 60 countries worldwide.

chikworldmap-102015

Where Chikungunya transmission is present, as of October 2015 (CDC.gov)

For more information:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs327/en/

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/

 

04.19.16
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HIV

This week, I am going to talk about what is arguably the most pressing virus that humans are facing today, not entirely because of its lethality, but because of its widespread effects and absence of a cure. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has currently infected 37 million individuals worldwide. Shockingly, it is estimated that only 54% of those who are infected with HIV are aware of their infection, meaning that roughly 46% of those infected are unaware that their bodies are fighting a potentially life-threatening diseases. Below, I want to present some facts about HIV:

 

  • It is estimated that there will be roughly 2 million new HIV infections every year
  • HIV is a virus that infects a person’s immune system, particularly their CD4 T cells
  • While the immune system is able to fight off most pathogens without a problem, HIV mutates so quickly in the body that the immune system is unable to effectively combat it
  • 2-4 weeks after being infected with HIV, a person may experience any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and mouth ulcers. Not all people will show these symptoms, and some people may not show symptoms at all for over 10 years.
  • After a certain amount of time, these symptoms will subside. When the symptoms subside, the virus is lying dormant in the body. During this time, the virus is being suppressed by the body’s immune system, but it is constantly evolving and mutating to find ways to break free.
  • Eventually, due to the chronic infection, the body’s immune system begins to lose its ability to hold back the virus and the CD4 T cells begin to die off. At this time, the virus rises in its numbers and the patient will progress to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). When a patient has AIDS, they experience many negative symptoms, and eventually succumb to an opportunistic infection because the body’s immune system has been severely degraded.
  • There is no cure for HIV, and no vaccine to prevent people from contracting it. Fortunately, we have Anti-Retroviral Therapies (ART’s) which can greatly prolong an infected individual’s life by helping the immune system suppress the virus. These treatments, while effective, are also extremely expensive, adding a financial burden to those who are infected.

hiv aids ribbon

 

For more information:

http://www.who.int/hiv/data/epi_core_july2015.png?ua=1

http://www.who.int/hiv/data/en/

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/signs-and-symptoms/index.html

 

04.05.16
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MERS

MERS coronavirus

MERS-CoV (ecdc.eu)

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, commonly referred to as MERS has been circulating the world lately. Before the Zika Virus outbreak in Brazil and the Ebola crisis in Africa, MERS received a lot of attention from the media because it is a relatively new disease in humans. The first human cases of MERS were seen in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Since that time, MERS has been seen in many countries around the world. MERS is currently circulating in the Arabian Peninsula and parts of the Republic of Korea. Since 2012, there have only been 2 cases confirmed in the US, both of which originated in travelers who had traveled to a region which had a MERS outbreak.

camel

MERS is caused by the MERS Coronavirus, known as MERS-CoV. It is believed that MERS-CoV originated in bats, but it is commonly found in camels. MERS transmits from animals to humans easily, but human to human transmission is not easily seen. MERS is fatal in many cases, especially in countries where the healthcare system is not very adequate. There is currently no vaccine to protect humans from contracting MERS, and there are no definitive treatments. To add to the difficulty in combating MERS, there are no clear diagnostic tests to allow doctors to accurately diagnose the disease in its early stages.

 

For More Information:

03.14.16
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Malaria

While the news has continued to focus on new developments in the Zika Virus, another, more-widespread virus, is utilizing mosquitos as a mode of transmission. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, and is transmitted to humans by the Anopheles mosquito. The life cycle of Plasmodium parasites occurs in both mosquitos and humans.

Malaria Lifecycle

Plasmodium life cycle  (CDC.gov)

When the parasite is brought to humans by the mosquito, the parasite infects and begins causing symptoms. In mosquitos, the parasite lives without affecting the host in a negative way. As seen in the map below, malaria is most commonly noticed in central Africa, parts of Asia, and some countries in South America. Malaria is also seen in less frequent amounts throughout central and eastern Asia, central America, and parts of Mexico. Children, pregnant women, those who have compromised immune systems, and those who have never traveled to a region with Malaria are most at risk to contract the disease.

Malaria Distribution

Distribution of malaria transmission rates throughout the world (CDC.gov)

 

Malaria usually presents 7-30 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Many times, malaria is treatable if diagnosed quickly. The primary symptoms include fever, sweats, headaches, chills, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, generally in the next 48 hours after symptoms are first observed, symptoms can worsen, including seizures, kidney failure, hypoglycemia, blood coagulation, and severe fevers. If not treated quickly, malaria can become fatal.

Fortunately, there are treatments available for those who are diagnosed with malaria, and many are effective if started quickly after diagnosis. Many drugs focus on killing the parasite that causes malaria. While these treatments exist in the United States and other developed countries however, they are not as accessible in many of the regions that are hit the hardest by malaria.

 

For more Information:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/index.html

02.23.16
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Ebola Update!

Ebola

The Ebola Virus, as viewed under a microscope (CDC.gov)

 

While the Zika outbreak has captured much of the attention of the news, there is some important news that just released on the Ebola outbreak that occurred last year. On February 19, 2016, a major change occurred in the United States’ response to the Ebola crisis. The Department of Homeland Security decided to end its enhanced screening procedures for those who were arriving in the United States from countries in Africa that experienced the Ebola epidemic. The screenings included temperature checks at five of the major international airports in the country, including JFK, Newark, Dulles, Chicago, and Atlanta. This decision was made after the World Health Organization declared that the Ebola outbreak was over. It has been more than 42 days since the last known Ebola patient recovered, marking a period twice as long as the incubation period of the disease.

For now, it looks like the Ebola crisis has ended. In my next post, I will discuss where Ebola came from, and what we are doing to prevent an outbreak like this from occurring again in the future.

 

Read more:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/19/obama-administration-ends-enhanced-ebola-screenings/