Hepatitis A may be causing outbreaks in the United States, but hepatitis B is still endemic to most regions of the world. The vaccine for the disease is even suggested before traveling to any foreign destination.
As a disease that’s found all around the world, many scientists have wondered where hepatitis B came from.
In 2018, that source is still a topic for debit in the world of science.
Vaccines have been a crucial part of the fight against infectious diseases for more than 200 years.
But, those initial vaccines were primitive compared to today’s science. Modern vaccines are now our best defense against disease throughout the world.
The Australian Academy of Science states that in the “past 20 years, vaccine technology has improved, resulting in production of vaccines against a broad range of infectious diseases.” Our recent progress creates an optimism for future vaccines, but the future is still uncertain. There are constant challenges for vaccine improvement needed every year.
We’ve long struggled to defend against dengue fever. Without a vaccine available, how can you prevent the mosquito-borne disease?
By changing the mosquitoes, apparently.
An initiative focused in the Australian town of Townsville proved that theory. The town noticed a dramatic decrease of dengue outbreaks thanks to modified mosquitoes.
In July 2018, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration officially approved the first new medicine for relapsing malaria in more than 60 years.
The development of the drug, tafenoquine, was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Foundation CEO Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann says that approval of the drug “is a major milestone along the road to ending the scourge of malaria for good.”
While this event is notable in itself, tafenoquine (also known by the name Krintafel) is quite impressive. The drug is a single-dose treatment that fights the most prevalent human malaria parasite in the world, Plasmodium vivax.
A century ago the world was shaken by the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, an event that infected about one-third of the world’s population. The epidemic ultimately resulted in about 50 to 100 millions deaths.
While many people may know how destructive the Spanish Flu was, few realize how much it shaped modern medicine and our response to outbreaks. In 1918, the world learned the immense value of epidemiology.
Scientists from the University of California at Davis and Columbia University have discovered a new species of Ebola in two types of bats in Sierra Leone.
Researchers are calling it the Bombali virus and know it is capable of infecting humans. Even with that knowledge, this doesn’t mean the virus will cause immediate problems. Researchers will need to conduct further investigation to judge whether it actually poses a threat.
The information is key as some species of Ebola spread disease to nonhuman primates but not to humans. Meanwhile, other species are capable of transmitting Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to people. Currently, researchers are not sure what the Bombali virus can do, but don’t believe there is cause for alarm. For the moment, their message to the public is to stay calm.
The signs of dangerous bites can be as varied as the bugs that give them.
Although, many bites from different animals do have common links. Swelling, pain and redness may be appear after almost any bite and it’s important to know these symptoms in case an emergency situation arises.
Being prepared may just save someone’s life, or, at the very least, it could help that pesky bite to stop hurting a lot sooner.
Mosquito-borne diseases often aren’t a problem in North America. Zika, malaria and Japanese encephalitis are so rare that they earn headlines any time a case is confirmed.
But, during mosquito season, this isn’t how we treat West Nile virus.
The virus may not cause an epidemic in the United States, but during the summer many areas report cases of West Nile. When testing the mosquitoes, every corner of the country has shown some risk of West Nile.
Even beyond the relaxation and sightseeing, we may look forward to a vacation mostly for the food. If you’re traveling to a place known for their local cuisine, that hunger may get even stronger. Travelers might not even think twice before trying a food truck or tasting treats in a marketplace.
But, those careless or unlucky foreign travelers may also know that food poisoning poses a major risk.
Food poisoning occurs when someone consumes food that’s contaminated with dangerous bacteria. It could be a minuscule virus or parasite, but that food becomes a vessel for illness.
Certain countries in the Middle East have long dealt with a lack of food security. The immense conflict and import dependence in the region means that this problem is now growing.
Undernourishment, malnutrition and anemia are consistent issues in the Middle East. Millions have to deal with the harsh realities of unsustainable farming and famine.
In general, food insecurity isn’t a new development for the Middle East. But it could grow even worse if steps aren’t taken to change agricultural policies with the health needs of the people. Coverage in The Lancet of the joint OECD-FAO (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization) Agricultural Outlook 2018-2027 report highlights the problem.
