Biological HazardsDisease in Developed and Developing Countries

What are biological hazards?

Nontransmissible diseases: not caused by living organisms Cardiovascular disease,

cancer, diabetes, bronchitis, emphysema, and malnutrition

Transmissible diseases - caused by living organisms - can be spread from person to person Pathogens – infectious agents

Vectors – insects and non human carriers

What factors affect the spread of disease?

Migration to urban areas

Reducing biodiversity by destroying forests and wiping out species that control vectors

Increased cultivation of rice - causes mosquito populations to increase

Increased international air travel

Climate change

Natural disasters such as floods

Some bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics

Virulent strains of influenza may develop

Bioterrorism

Case Study: Antibiotic-Resistant Staph Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections.

Most infections occur in people who've been in hospitals or other health care settings.

Infections are associated with invasive procedures or devices

Another type of MRSA infection has occurred among healthy people. This form often begins as a painful skin boil.

It's spread by skin-to-skin contact. At-risk populations include groups such as high school wrestlers, child care workers, and people who live in crowded conditions.

Case Study: Antibiotic-Resistant Staph

How does this occur? Nature of the beast—highly reproductive

Overuse of antibiotics—at least half of all antibiotics used to treat humans are prescribed unnecessarily

In some countries, antibiotics are even available without a prescription.

Livestock are given massive amounts of antibiotics to prevent infection.

Case Study: Global Threat from AIDS Worldwide, 400 million people are infected with an STD each year.

One in three in the US will contract an STD by age 24.

Infection rate for HIV/AIDS is increasing every year. Long incubation period for the virus means more spreading.

Poorest countries can not afford to treat the disease or to test for it.

AIDS has caused the life expectancy of 700 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa to drop from 62 to 47 years.

Case Study: Global Threat from AIDS

Why is it so bad in Africa? “Concurrency”

Economic Factors

Medical Suspicion

Pharmaceutical Industry

AIDS-deniers in politics

What are some ways of reducing infection? Shrink the number of people capable of infecting others by reducing the

number of new infections below the number of deaths.

Concentrate on the groups in a society most likely to spread the disease.

Use mass advertising and education programs to educate people.

Provide free or low-cost treatment to slow the progress of the disease.

How can we reduce the incidence of infectious disease?

Increase research on tropical diseases and vaccines

Reduce poverty

Decrease malnutrition

Improve drinking water quality

Reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics

Educate people to take all of an antibiotic prescription

Reduce antibiotic use to promote livestock growth

Careful hand washing by all medical personnel

Immunize children against major viral disease

Oral rehydration for diarrhea victims

Global campaign to reduce HIV/AIDS