Chickenpox is a highly contagious virus characterized by a blister-like rash to form all over the skin. Spreading across the body, the pock-marked rash is also extremely itchy.
Decades old, a chickenpox vaccine now makes the virus preventable. Even once contracted, anti-viral medication creates a simple treatment for chickenpox.
It’s probably less of a concern for parents of young children, but the chickenpox virus can also cause shingles.
There are multiple different types of anthrax, all of which can be deadly if left untreated. Because of this the illness has been used for many acts of aggression over the last century.
But, anthrax didn’t just come about over the last 100 years.
The origins of anthrax are estimated to go back as far as 700 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Rome and ancient Greece are also thought to have experienced the disease, with some considering anthrax to have played a part in Rome’s downfall.
What’s your first reaction when someone suggests that you don’t bring those electronic gadgets while on vacation?
Does it send a wave of panic through your body? Do you feel a sense of relief? Maybe you experience a wave of dread and guilt.
But would it really be that difficult for you to leave your cell phone home while you’re on holiday? The answer: It depends on the person and how they use their devices in their everyday lives.
In an extremely rare event, four people have been diagnosed with cholera in an outbreak in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Four cholera patients might sound like a small amount anywhere else in the world, but for Canada, where the disease has been virtually eradicated for decades, it’s a big deal. The country gets only about two cases per year on average, so the outbreak has already doubled expected numbers.
Officials believe that herring eggs are the cause of this outbreak. The eggs were harvested on the east coast of Vancouver Island, namely in the French Creek to Qualicum Bay area, according to Dr. Shannon Waters. Herring roe is not considered a problem by the First Nations Health Authority.
Sounding like something out of a horror movie, a smallpox demon is actually far more scientific.
Or a mix of science and centuries-old Japanese history.
Although eradicated in 1980, smallpox created fear for centuries across the globe. The infectious disease caused a fever, vomiting, sores and skin rash. It even led to bumps that would scab and leave scars all over the body.
The smallpox demon comes from Japanese culture and believed to be the source of all smallpox epidemics in Japan. In medieval times, people would try to appease or attack the demon since there was no other source of reliable, effective treatment.
Nigeria is currently facing the worst outbreak of Lassa fever ever recorded.
The outbreak reportedly began in January and is still raging on. The disease has spread to at least 19 states since the epidemic began.
As of March 25, 134 people have died from Lassa fever; that number is only expected to increase. There are 394 confirmed infections and a suspected 1,219 more are infected. There have also been over 4,000 contacts identified- officials are currently waiting to see if those exposed will contract the disease.
Stomach flu, traveler’s diarrhea, winter vomiting bug. Norovirus goes by many names, but travelers across the globe know the dangers of the infection.
The extremely contagious stomach virus is transmitted from person to person via direct contact. This can happen justy by shaking hands with someone who’s sick, eating contaminated foods, and touching infected surfaces.
The virus spreads most often when a lot of people share close quarters.
If you’ve ever flown in an airplane while sick, you already know that conditions can quickly get worse. The enclosed environment only exacerbates those painful symptoms.
But, sometimes that flight is unavoidable. Business, or even a much-needed vacation, take priority and maybe you can’t get out of the flight.
Sometimes you have to go with the flow and board the plane.
For many, a trip abroad is a reprieve from daily stress. Travelers anxiously look forward to that break from the humdrum of daily life.
But, when something goes wrong during that escape from reality, it can put the whole trip in jeopardy. Unfortunately, it’s common to experience some inconvenience during international travel.
Lost luggage is frequently the event that can instantly ruin your foreign getaway.
We may worry about the flu during this season, but the virus also leads to another dangerous illness: pneumonia. Even with a vaccine available, pneumonia causes nearly a million deaths every year across the globe.
In hopes to reduce those numbers, we could see changes to that serum.
Officials in Cuba are currently developing a new pneumonia vaccine. The process began in 2006 and it’s nearing completion, with hopes that the new vaccine will be available to Cuba’s population as early as 2019.
