The severity of the recent flu season wasn’t lost on officials trying to stop the virus.
“We need to make the universal flu vaccine a higher priority than it has been,” said Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Fauci revealed this when speaking to The Scientist in January.
Why is the influenza virus so difficult to combat, and why do we need to change the vaccination every year?
With the seasons changing, many people are dealing with their uncomfortable seasonal allergies. Common triggers for seasonal allergies include pollen, mold, dust and plants.
And with those annoying air particles comes the even worse symptoms. Allergies can cause disruptive symptoms such as a sore throat, inflamed sinuses and sneezing, which can ruin a vacation.
The stress of having seasonal allergies can rise when you’re traveling and unsure how they will affect your trip. If you struggle with pollen or other natural allergies that are more prevalent during certain seasons, here are some steps you can take to assure your vacation won’t be overshadowed by them:
Since late summer 2016, hepatitis A has had an increased presence across the United States.
While San Diego’s hepatitis A outbreak caused headlines in 2017, the disease isn’t just contained to Southern California. So far in 2018, seven states reported cases of the food and water-borne disease. Among those states, Utah, Michigan and Kentucky reported the most cases.
Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the liver and causes jaundice. Once infected, the disease can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. It is extremely contagious and usually spread through unsanitary food and water. On rare occasions, hepatitis A can spread by sharing needles with an infected individual.
Since the wet season began in late 2017, Malawi has seen a severe spike in cholera cases.
The Ministry of Health reported that the disease has caused 30 deaths and almost 900 cases this year throughout the African country.
Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, is currently being hit the hardest by the outbreak. Cholera spread to 352 people in Lilongwe and caused 18 deaths, as of April 12.
Whether it’s the estimated $54 billion SARS outbreak in Asia in 2002 or the $4.7 million measles outbreak in the Netherlands from 2013, epidemics cost money. Minnesota battled a measles outbreak in 2017 that totaled $1 million. Meanwhile, West Africa’s widely-publicized Ebola epidemic in 2014 tallied $32.6 billion.
Even these figures from groups such as the World Bank struggle to completely grasp the financial ramifications of such events.
No matter where it is or what disease spreads, an outbreak isn’t cheap.
Scientists believe that typhoid fever is an ancient illness tracing back millennia. They believe the disease may have caused Greece’s plague in 430 B.C. and helped extinguish the Jamestown Colony in the 1600s. Historians suspect that typhoid killed over 6,000 of the colonists that settled there.
Even despite that long history, we’re still struggling with the disease to this day, this time in the form of a superbug.
Typhoid fever is a highly contagious bacterium caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. The bacterium gets into food or drink, usually leading to symptoms withing one or two weeks.
While shingles is not a new illness, it has been featured heavily in the news recently due to Lin-Manuel Miranda. The playwright, actor and singer announced on April 5 that he was quarantining himself from his newborn son due to an official diagnosis.
For Miranda, the notable symptom was a migraine. Other symptoms of shingles can often include itching, pain or tingling in an area where a rash will develop, fever, chills and an upset stomach.
The World Health Organization (WHO) works closely with government officials in over 150 different countries. They divide those countries into six regions to provide aid and health to their citizens.
In keeping with their goal, the organization might look ahead to future health risks. So, how can they plan for an outbreak that doesn’t exist?
The WHO is making preparations for an unknown epidemic dubbed “Disease X.”
June and July are often associated with beaches, sunshine and heat, but not everyone wants to go to sandy shores.
Some travelers want to get away from the heat during the summer months. If you’re looking for snow in the summer, we’ve got five unexpected places for you to consider for your upcoming vacation:
Our immune systems are extremely delicate, and stressful situations like traveling can wreak havoc on them. Sleep deprivation, stress and many other issues on trips can only make you more susceptible to infections.
And your body isn’t the only change that could make you sick.
Traveling exposes you to more people than you would normally encounter. Spending time near dozens or hundreds of strangers only creates a better chance of catching something like a cold.
