tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.comments2023-06-13T04:45:22.434-04:00Infection LandscapesMichael Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05038031388622939797noreply@blogger.comBlogger1388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-5538315699944049752016-04-30T23:00:24.930-04:002016-04-30T23:00:24.930-04:00hi yousra
having read many, many articles for a p...hi yousra<br /><br />having read many, many articles for a paper the answer to why so long is not as simple as nobody cares about 3rd world countries.<br /><br />one article wrote about the need to larvicide all of the ponds in a village but the people would not let them treat the sacred ponds so the disease continued. also there is a new threat that the dogs are eating the fish guts which have the worm in it and becoming infected. they then roam and contaminate a pond. <br /><br />as of 2015, 335 million has been spent on this effort. education is key to the final push of elimination.amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917219340941386210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-55737062301952038982016-04-30T22:57:08.051-04:002016-04-30T22:57:08.051-04:00hi yousra
having read many, many articles for a p...hi yousra<br /><br />having read many, many articles for a paper the answer to why so long is not as simple as nobody cares about 3rd world countries.<br /><br />one article wrote about the need to larvicide all of the ponds in a village but the people would not let them treat the sacred ponds so the disease continued. also there is a new threat that the dogs are eating the fish guts which have the worm in it and becoming infected. they then roam and contaminate a pond. <br /><br />as of 2015, 335 million has been spent on this effort. education is key to the final push of elimination.amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917219340941386210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-72872010868050751722016-04-25T03:58:37.347-04:002016-04-25T03:58:37.347-04:00Yes education is very important. It is not only th...Yes education is very important. It is not only the study that connects vaccines to autism, which gives "anti-vacciners" leverage, there are more reasons why people refuse to vaccine their children. these other ideas must be addressed rationally in order that those people can feel their perspective has been taken into account and considered.Shmuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321894818345397249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-40964087276955821832016-04-25T03:55:53.068-04:002016-04-25T03:55:53.068-04:00I found it interesting that measles has not change...I found it interesting that measles has not changed its genomic makeup throughout the changes. Are there other diseases where the virus or genomic species remains unchanged? what is unique about Measles that it does not have mutations. <br />ALthough the genetic formula for the vaccine an remain the same as it was when it was first inveted, has there been improvements on the vaccine since its first use?Shmuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321894818345397249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-32564542741765039852016-04-22T18:59:48.188-04:002016-04-22T18:59:48.188-04:00The point that healthcare workers must receive the...The point that healthcare workers must receive the flu vaccine is a good point, Liz. Since the virus succumbs to both antigenic drift and shift (with the former being an important factor in the annual outbreaks), it is necessary that these workers receive the vaccine when around a vulnerable population (i.e. those in the hospital). Jamie Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00489504049388888566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-38661358123173440752016-04-22T17:37:40.914-04:002016-04-22T17:37:40.914-04:00Similar to everyone else, I too was surprised to r...Similar to everyone else, I too was surprised to read about the differences in transmission tendencies between developed and developing nations. I was slightly confused on whether the antibiotic resistance was coming from sprays used on agriculture or humans taking medications, but since salmonella relies greatly on nosocomial transmission, I assume it has more to do with human practices. In addition to finding better treatments for salmonella, we also need to ensure adherence to treatment regimens, as incomplete compliance helpes lead to antibiotic resistance as well. Having public health officials in the field to ensure that medicines are being taken as directed can go a long way in halting the increase in antibiotic resistance we are seeing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16027370189089578596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-57680016078970505972016-04-22T16:48:33.930-04:002016-04-22T16:48:33.930-04:00Hi Eli,
I think the reason why each Flavivirus has...Hi Eli,<br />I think the reason why each Flavivirus has its own method of transmission is due to evolution. Each virus needs a host cell to replicate, so while the types of cells and modes of transmission may be similar, there is a need for an individualized combination so each virus can continue to exist without too much competition. Yellow fever has a high mortality rate, so it would be a disadvantage for other viruses to be transmitted at the same time as the host may die soon. It is interesting that Hep C has developed to not need mosquitos at all—it has flourished in the human population mainly due to blood transfusions and needle sharing. <br />I think you are right that the elderly are most at risk of fatality from WNV, like with the flu, due to the increased risk of medical complications. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07792996651771706535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-16197115021252148732016-04-22T15:07:09.944-04:002016-04-22T15:07:09.944-04:00Shmuel, you make an interesting point that though ...Shmuel, you make an interesting point that though it seems intuitive for people to avoid open pools of water. I think this would be very difficult to achieve, particularly in developing countries where malaria is endemic. Without the proper infrastructure it would be unlikely that people would be able to avoid all mosquito breeding grounds. The best prevention efforts would still likely be distribution of malaria drugs. Christine Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08026286087487756149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-20739144621676778402016-04-22T14:23:33.451-04:002016-04-22T14:23:33.451-04:00I honestly did not really know about antihelminthi...I honestly did not really know about antihelminthics, so I looked into the current status of research and implementation. One of the especially interesting things I learned was that there is evidence that one of these medicines may be able to reduce malaria transmission. This especially interesting given the issue that John raised regarding developing vs. developed countries: "The villages are located in an area that experiences a high burden of both malaria and worm diseases, raising the possibility of addressing several health problems at once."<br /><br />Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151027132830.htmJessica Vancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08724796819166292189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-71247478931409423382016-04-22T12:07:36.090-04:002016-04-22T12:07:36.090-04:00Yes, I would have to agree that tackling the devel...Yes, I would have to agree that tackling the development of the disease through singular approaches to decrease malnutrition, smoking and pollution could decrease TB rates as well as improving social and physical landscapes such as creating better housing conditions they are not feasible objectives to obtain without multidisciplinary methods to alter behavior. While developments could help facilitate improvements of many physical and social health aspects in addition to decreasing TB, to be sustainable would require much time and financial effort. That is not to say those improvements should not be implemented, they should. They would compliment prevention and control framework learned in class such as government commitment, adequate supply and access to therapy along with compliance to treatment regime, continual surveillance and education of TB. Carolyn Marie Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00433281016560472480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-84596425842795704482016-04-22T11:16:19.410-04:002016-04-22T11:16:19.410-04:00I also found how it manifests in different parts o...I also found how it manifests in different parts of the body very interesting! I don't think our heads and necks would be anymore exposed than regions in Africa because of it's warm climate. <br /><br />It seems like the WHO has a campaign against this illness for thirty years (booklet published in 2007) and claims to have treated 55 million Africans: http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/documents/elimin_riverblind.pdf Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14802623229871266801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-39968589740320608912016-04-21T21:12:58.542-04:002016-04-21T21:12:58.542-04:00I also agree that we need a renewed public health ...I also agree that we need a renewed public health effort to discredit the false claims against vaccines. Additionally, it would be beneficial to remind Americans (and likely those in other developed countries who have forgotten about the health burden caused by measles and consequently have seen waning vaccine rates) about the complications that measles can cause. As I mentioned via Facebook I was led to an anti-vaccination page and through the comments saw that many people believe measles is harmless. As we learned in class this is not the case but if this is the thinking of anti-vacciners it is understandable why people would feel vaccinations are unnecessary. Thus, it seems we are at a critical point where false claims must be dismantled via research and then research must be widely publicized in a way that all Americans can understand. Communication is paramount in public health initiatives. Similarly, all of the research in the world discrediting false claims is useless if it is not shared with the general public in an effective manner. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17313907471755424252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-87605893563106997982016-04-21T19:31:01.486-04:002016-04-21T19:31:01.486-04:00Hi John,
Your comments on treatments for helminthi...Hi John,<br />Your comments on treatments for helminthic infections seem very factually based and accurate. Another method of treatment I would like to point out, although albeit significantly more uncommon, is alternative medicine or "herbal treatments" for helminthes. My grandmother mentioned to me once while having a diner discussion that in old time Europe they would use a herbal cocktail to treat internal parasites that included wormwood, gentian, ginger and wild indigo. I’m not familiar with these particular plants and roots but it would be interesting to have their effectiveness studied. Little money is given to study alternative medicine as pharmaceutical companies fund and lobby research that will generate the most profit for them. I was told that Germany funds herbal medicine research but have yet to discover it. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16674259297324970989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-55913251748703832642016-04-20T13:52:40.739-04:002016-04-20T13:52:40.739-04:00Overall, it is safe to say that basic hygiene such...Overall, it is safe to say that basic hygiene such as hand-washing and rinsing fruits/vegetables before consumption can go a long way in mitigating the spread of this disease. Interventions should also be tailored towards at-risk populations (young children, agricultural workers and pregnant/women of child-rearing age). This might seem far fetched but I wonder whether one can re-engineer the soil composition in environments of high-endemicity. Would such actions be even more detrimental to the landscape ecology of Trichuriasis? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16157810367833073275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-65910229310909574042016-04-15T16:49:54.120-04:002016-04-15T16:49:54.120-04:00"They comprise the largest overall disease bu..."They comprise the largest overall disease burden to human beings on the planet."<br />"ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm...are perhaps the biggest contributor to overall morbidity in the developing world."<br /><br />These were striking facts to read! Given the variety in transmission methods, I understand why prevention or treatment approaches would be complicated. One reason why these parasites are especially burdensome in certain areas. Warm, resource-poor geographies with poor sanitation systems might create a "perfect storm" for a group of diseases spread by mosquitos and fecal-oral routes. <br />I would have been interested to read more about if/how helmniths contribute to morbidity and/or mortality in people with other concurrant conditions, particularly in areas with less health infrastructure. Jessica Vancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08724796819166292189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-12422233696529661152016-04-15T16:38:53.432-04:002016-04-15T16:38:53.432-04:00It seems interesting that there still exists such ...It seems interesting that there still exists such a tremendous prevalence of this problem when the solution is so simple. If this is such a widespread issue, it would seem that people would be more concerned with thoroughly cooking their pork. However, it would be pertinent for the local public health officials in the areas where this is problematic to spread information and education about the prevention of this. According to the WHO, vaccination of the livestock is also a good intermediary prevention strategy that does not depend on individual action. <br /><br />http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs376/en/Christine Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08026286087487756149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-21474386928338519232016-04-15T16:18:43.633-04:002016-04-15T16:18:43.633-04:00It is stunning and sad how we as the human populat...It is stunning and sad how we as the human population domesticated the mosquito and thus have brought harm onto our own species. But I do not agree with the domestication of the mosquito as also being its weakness. Rather maybe our presence is actually helping them thrive since we both need water and mosquitos are using us to fetch water for them essentially. This is because of the large human population and the difficulty of reaching all populations. I don't think there would be one effective widespread intervention. The PAHO attempt was a great attempt and it is unfortunate that it is no longer being used. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14802623229871266801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-85270976764965528232016-04-15T14:57:05.867-04:002016-04-15T14:57:05.867-04:00Like you have noted, Richard, many of these gut in...Like you have noted, Richard, many of these gut infections seem to arise from insufficient water sanitation measures. And with the sub-clinical rate of 50% for giardiasis, prevention of further infection spread becomes even more important since asymptomatic individuals will not be treated. I agree that there needs to be more effort and resources put into many geographic regions throughout the developing world, but I also think instituting interventions to ensure water boiling and other such behaviors is necessary. For one, it was noted in this post that the cyst stage of giardiasis can live for weeks to months in cool water, so I assume that boiling water may kill the parasite. Secondly, only some dozen organisms are needed for infection, and many more organisms are usually found in water sources throughout the developing world. So while sanitation facilities are essential, I believe it would take many facilities within some communities and significant time before we would see the kind of major declines in rates of giardiasis that we would hope to see.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16027370189089578596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-20776742830132674992016-04-15T14:09:29.669-04:002016-04-15T14:09:29.669-04:00Jaundice causes a yellow discoloration in sufferer...Jaundice causes a yellow discoloration in sufferers which provided the name for this disease: Yellow Fever. In turn, yellow fever gave the name to the flaviviruses. <br />The current vaccine is very effective, but it is a live virus and relatively expensive. The outbreaks tend to occur in poor countries. The current outbreak in Angola highlights that the drop in the price of oil has directly affected the government’s ability to pay for a good vaccination program. This is worrying, not just for Yellow Fever but, if vaccines are not being administered, the country is also at high risk of seeing polio reemerge.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07792996651771706535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-78694430924282692842016-04-15T13:45:39.447-04:002016-04-15T13:45:39.447-04:00To clarify, do macrophages target amastigotes for ...To clarify, do macrophages target amastigotes for phagocytosis via the same antigens that let them target promastigotes? And what is the actual mechanism of the tissue necrosis causes by leishmaniasis? In comment, it seems that vector control is not a realistic strategy for control; perhaps more research will be done on how the parasite evades the lysosomal activity of the macrophage.Max Mecklenburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18413082131755339117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-69710474639000546592016-04-15T12:37:35.614-04:002016-04-15T12:37:35.614-04:00i found it interesting that although the vector fo...i found it interesting that although the vector for Malaria does not move very far in its lifetime, it is able to adapt very well to the changing lifestyles of humans. The urbanization of the population made it even easier for the vector to breed all the while making it more difficult for the human population to control it. while human movement and man made water systems, such as canals for agriculture has made great breeding grounds for the vector, with urbanization, there are so many small and efficient breeding grounds for continued transmission. avoiding open pools of water seems like a simple initiative, yet it doesn't seems simple enough to avoid the enormous spread of malariaShmuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321894818345397249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-49712479246162023752016-04-15T11:45:37.239-04:002016-04-15T11:45:37.239-04:00
While I have been aware of Anthrax in terms of bi...<br />While I have been aware of Anthrax in terms of biological warfare, I was unaware of the Anthrax in the context of animal husbandry and processing, it is quite interesting. The physical and social landscape connection frames the modes of transmission as an occupational risk for those directly handling or in contact with infected animals via livestock production and those processing the products of the animals. Awareness, education, access and compliance is imperative for prevention and control. Having access to personal protective equipment is one thing but the education needs to be put in place on the why, the how and the importance of compliance. Additionally, in U.S. this should be implemented with cultural competence as immigrant workers are often employed in agricultural industry. Also, I think it would be important for the hunting community to be educated of anthrax transmission and safety measures as I would assume wild animals such as deer would not be vaccinated as animals for livestock production may be. Carolyn Marie Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00433281016560472480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-71086072288393590392016-04-15T11:29:13.936-04:002016-04-15T11:29:13.936-04:00As this post mentions, Global Climate change is a ...As this post mentions, Global Climate change is a significant contributor to the possibility of rising rates of dengue in the US, specifically the northern region. As climate changes, the increased amount of precipitation results in increased humidity. Along with higher average temperatures these environmental factors may replicate just enough of a tropical climate for A. aegypti to successfully migrate south. Even for those that deny the rapid advance of global warming, it is feasible that even a small change in weather can contribute to the migration of the mosquito to the North. As the weather changes ever so slightly, shorting the intensity and length of the winter, overwintering may become easier for the mosquito to achieve. While previously a simple matter of a degree or two or perhaps an extra week or so of cold weather was preventing a successful overwinter, those obstacles may now be eliminated for A. aegypti. Thus, migration of A. aegypti is a serious concern and can happen spontaneously resulting a realization that may be a few million infections to late.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16674259297324970989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-33262555024905954162016-04-14T23:26:05.795-04:002016-04-14T23:26:05.795-04:00Recently on FB I saw a post about the link between...Recently on FB I saw a post about the link between autism and vaccinations. Quite honestly I am baffled (and horrified) that people still hold this belief despite multiple studies showing no association (as mentioned in the posting). At this point because the anti-vaccination campaigns seem to be gathering a larger uninformed mass, the media should take up the task of explaining both the importance of vaccines and discrediting the negative associations that people believe. Obviously, public health has a role to play. However, unfortunately the media (and social media) seem to more easily reach a larger mass than PH campaigns. Thus, they should increase awareness about vaccine importance while discrediting misinformation rather than just tell people they NEED to vaccinate their children. Although not every anti-vacciner can be reasoned with, many are probably just ill-informed and providing evidence to back-up any statement may help change their mind. As a side bar, The Lancet should also take a role in publishing one of the systematic reviews or meta-analyses on MMR vaccine efficacy and safety as they were the one that published the fraudulent article in the first place. Additionally, as the Lancet is a scientific magazine with a broader reader base they have the ability to reach more of the population. Either way, the anti-vaccination movement seems to be growing and social media allows these ideas to spread quickly...some sort of public health awareness initiative/ media collaboration should happen sometime in the very near future! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17313907471755424252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492197469143963742.post-7038523814652003322016-04-14T19:18:47.120-04:002016-04-14T19:18:47.120-04:00Although Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever is named after he...Although Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever is named after hemorrhage clinical manifestation, published data from the 3 largest EHF outbreaks showed that less than half of the cases had hemorrhagic manifestation. Studies also showed that there was no significant difference in survival between patients with hemorrhage and patients without hemorrhage. Researching therapeutic interventions for Ebola has been difficult because there are only a few suitable mouse models that repeat key aspects of the disease course in humans.<br /><br />http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/26/infdis.jiu088.fullAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12743446903164670735noreply@blogger.com