infectious diseases Essay - 672 Words

Illness and death from infectious diseases are particularly tragic because they are preventable and treatable. Not surprisingly, the poorest and most vulnerable are the most severely affected by infectious disease. Infectious diseases are a major cause of death, disability and social and economic turmoil for millions around the world. Poverty stricken countries lack access to health care. Reports show that in nations with the lowest economic status the causes of death are primarily infectious and nutritional diseases. Respiratory infections like the flu, pneumonia, diphtheria, and tuberculosis and gastrointestinal illnesses like dysentery and viral diarrhea kill children and adults most commonly in these countries. Unlike the United†¦show more content†¦In a poor country such as Ethiopia there are as many as 36,660 people per doctor. This means that for each person in the country to get seen one time a year every doctor would have to see over 100 patients a day every day of the week. Limited access to drugs makes treatable conditions like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis fatal for the poor. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The most prominent infectious diseases in developing countries are malaria, schistosomiasis and trypanosomiasis. Malaria is the leading cause of death in tropical countries. More than one million deaths occur each year. Malaria is a vector borne parasitic infection. It is caused by a parasite that is transmitted through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. Plasmodium is the causative organism. People infected with the parasite that causes malaria could experience weeks or months of bad health. Children and pregnant women are less likely to recover than adults who have built up immunity to the disease. Malaria has increased a lot in Africa and other tropical and poverty stricken areas. Plasmodium has become resistant to chloroquine which is the antimalarial drug. A recent report showed that nearly 25,000 childhood deaths per day are due to only seven infectious diseases. These include malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, whooping cough, tetanus, and tuberculo sis. In many of these deaths, malnutrition is an influencing factor. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In developingShow MoreRelatedInfectious Diseases : New Infectious Disease2041 Words   |  9 PagesTopic B: New Diseases Throughout history, the emergence of infectious diseases has led to a proliferation of control treatments. Despite successful control methods, the recurring emergence of both new and old infectious diseases has preserved human mortality (Schrag Wiener 1995, p. 319). It is the globalisation of such infections that traverse, the single appearance of a disease, to the entire world within a limited time span. The definition of emerging infections according to Schwartz and YogevRead MoreTuberculosis As An Infectious Disease1515 Words   |  7 PagesINFECTIOUS DISEASE: TUBERCULOSIS Tuberculosis is one of the leading infectious diseases around the world. Globally, infectious diseases like tuberculosis among others continue to be one of the leading causes of death in children, adolescents and of the leading causes in adults (WHO). The purpose of this article is to examine and discuss mostly the etiology of tuberculosis, as well as its cause and spread. To better understand the subject of tuberculosis as an infectious disease and the problem itRead MoreInfectious Diseases And The Epidemic Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesInfectious diseases according to the Mariam Webster Dictionary, is â€Å"a disease caused by the entrance into the body of organisms (as bacteria, protozoans, fungi, or viruses) which grow and multiply there†. Infectious diseases has been one of the biggest issues facing mankind since the beginning of time. Particularly due to the fact that we will never truly get rid of infectious diseases as a new one seems to appear every few years. From diseases such as the great plague, the H1N1 influenza and moreRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Infectious Diseases Essay1549 Words   |  7 PagesFor thousands of years, infectious diseases have had a strong influence over human populations by challenging the immune system to continuously adapt to new virulent strains. With the advantage of reproducing more rapidly than the human immune response, microorganisms that cause even minor infections can prove to be fatal (Parham, 2015). Over time, outbreaks such as ‘The Great Plague’ have threatened to bring an end to society. Without the ability to contain these diseases geographically and provideRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Infectious Disease1710 Words   |  7 PagesThe words â€Å"infectious disease† have been feared by humans from the time they were initially discovered and this fear continues to persist into the current status of the 21st century. This inherent fear stems from the ability of the tiny, pathogenic microorga nisms responsible for these infectious diseases to wipe out thousands, or even millions from the human population. Though some may view infectious disease is an issue of the past, it still wreaks havoc in many of the worlds’ developing nationsRead MoreThe Epidemiology Of An Infectious Disease1499 Words   |  6 Pagesassignment, I will be exploring the epidemiology of an infectious disease found on the Public Health Agency of Canada website known as Pertussis. This particular disease is also known as Whooping Cough due to the sound made while inhaling during a coughing spell. The information contained in this report will be taken from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website which can be found at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca. SUMMARY ABOUT PERTUSSIS AGENT OF DISEASE Pertussis is caused by â€Å"bordetella pertussis† whichRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Infectious Diseases Essay1898 Words   |  8 Pagesdefines infectious diseases as â€Å"diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that can be spread, directly or indirectly from one person to another† (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.). Infectious diseases have been plaguing humanity since the beginning of time. One can find stories of infectious diseases outbreaks in various history and/or science textbooks, different disease-based websites, and even the Bible. These types of diseases are treatableRead MoreNeosporosis : An Infectious Disease1102 Words   |  5 Pages Neosporosis is an infectious disease prominent in both livestock and companion animals. Neosporosis was first discovered in dogs in Norway in 1984, when it caused neuromuscular degeneration that lead to hind limb paralysis. Due to the similarity of Neospora caninum to Toxoplasma gondii, neosporosis was misidentified as toxoplasmosis for many years. The two share similar life cycles and structure but vary when it comes to hosts. N. caninum thrives in cattle, dogs and related canids whereas T. gondiiRead MoreTuberculosis Is An Infectious Disease1217 Words   |  5 Pagessuffering with this disease at present even though there is vaccine widely available, there is still a high morbidity rate in some countries every year. Africa, Western and Southeast Asia are the most affected areas, making approximately 86 percent of tuberculosis cases in the world. This research paper will discuss, tuberculosis in New Zealand. It will discuss the biology of the bacterium, risks factors and the import ance of immunisation and prevention. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by aRead MoreThe Death Of Infectious Diseases1895 Words   |  8 Pageswere infectious diseases. More than half of all people dying in the United States died because of germs. Today, they account for a few percent of deaths at most. We owe much of that, of course, to antibiotics,† states Aaron Carroll a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (Carroll). Now, once easily treated bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to treat and rid from a patient’s system because antibiotics can no longer effectively treat some common diseases. Antibiotics