Emerging Infectious Diseases

Question 1

What is an Emerging Infectious Disease (EID)?

Answer 1

A disease that has increased in frequency increased in frequency in the human in the human population over the past 2 decades

Question 2

Give examples of EIDs that have appeared in the population for the first time.

Answer 2

Ebola
AIDS
SARS
Lyme Disease
Cholera

Question 3

Give examples of EIDs that previously existed but are now rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range (re-emerging)

Answer 3

TB
Malaria
Whooping Cough

Question 4

Where are EIDs found?

Answer 4

Everywhere

Question 5

What factors lead to an EID?

Answer 5

Changes in the Environment:

– Forest clearing
– Dam projects Dam projects
– Humans living closer to animal vectors
– Different human populations coming into contact with one another
– Microbial Adaptation

Question 6

What diseases are atributable to living closer to animal vectors?

Answer 6

Ebola

Lyme Disease

Question 7

What do we know about Ebola symptoms?

Answer 7

• RNA viruses that causes hemorrhagic fever
• High mortality rate (up to 60-70% during some outbreaks)
• Transmission through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from a person sick with Ebola (ie showing symptoms)
• Symptoms develop between 2-21 days

Question 8

What do we know about Ebola treatment?

Answer 8

• Recovery high if treated early
– Stigma associated with recovery
– Long-term disability

• Treatment
– Basic intervention e.g. IV and electrolytes
– Bodies own immune system
– Experimental treatment e g Experimental treatment e.g. ZMapp, and vaccines vaccines
being developed

Question 9

Where has Ebola been detected?

Answer 9

West and Central Africa

Question 10

Where is the most current outbreak of Ebola?

Answer 10

West Africa

Question 11

What are the theories on where emerging infectious diseases come from?

Answer 11

• Spontaneous Generation

- Existing disease evolving or spreading to a new population

Question 12

What is the argument against Spontaneous Generation?

Answer 12

• Experiments by Louis Pasteur supported that all living cells arise from existing living cells

Question 13

What is an example of the proven theory that EIDs come from existing disease?

Answer 13

Antibiotic Resistance in populations of bacteria

- has made tuberculosis (TB) an EID

Question 14

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of _______________ by _______________.

Answer 14

evolution

natural selection

Question 15

What can be done to combat antibiotic resistance?

Answer 15

Use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary

reduce use in agricultural settings

develop new antibiotics and only use them for treating resistant strains

Educate patients