Through the course of my society and epidemics class in a fur week process we went over a variety of epidemics in today’s current society. These epidemics have shaped the world around us today. Epidemics of disease have shaped the course of human civilization and our societies. In their relentlessly democratic assault on human populations, princes and paupers, men and women, the old and the young have all been affected by disease, their lives and the lives of those around them ended abruptly or changed forever. There are a couple of disease that I think have a huge effect today still in the world we live in. Plagues were a huge thing just like TB which is commonly known as tuberculosis and HIV Aids. These three are the most significant topics that we covered in the class. I feel that I got a lot out of this epidemics class with the outstanding Dr. Hinks and she taught this class very fluently.

There are a lot of historical and societal factors that play key roles in the appearance of plagues throughout history. Effects of social/cultural changes on infectious diseases have been observed in populations. Plagues were first brought up due to the domestication and spread of humans. Hand and hand humans and animals lived together. This brought about many problems for both species. Humans and animals lived together shared the same water supply Squalid conditions of villages offered a paradise for rats, mice, ticks, flies, and mosquitoes. Also factors like deterioration of human diet due to concentration on growing and eating a single crop which holds lack of nutrients can arise to the effect of plague being seen. “Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague.” (artifact 1) Plague is infamous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. The black death of the middle ages was historically one of the largest epidemics to ever occur in world history, killing thousands of people. Societal factors, like large overcrowded populations, bad hygiene, citizens not properly doing what is necessary to be clean, can aid in things like plague. The black death explained in the film “The Black Death” as thought to have been originated from Asia from the Mongolians. Artifact 1 pretty much talked about the emergence of plagues throughout history and how much of a toll they have had on the world today and how we can learn from them.

Artifact 6 Which is TB or tuberculosis, “tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain”. (artifact 6) Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal, TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. Frequently occurring from individuals with HIV have tuberculosis. The thing about TB is that it’s hard to treat. There are three different types of TB and two of them are the strongest types and have a devastating effect. Generally, most people do not finish the treatment of TB before dying after the countless months of getting treatment.

Artifact 8 HIV is the last main topic, “HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection”. (artifact 8) No effective cure exists for HIV. But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. Some groups of people in the United States are more likely to get HIV than others because of many factors, including their sex partners, their risk behaviors, and where they live. HIV is typically associated with homosexuals and in America during a time when actions as such were not respectable. Ultimately the disease killed thousands and cases spread everywhere like wildfire. There’s not much to cure the disease since it can mutate and adapt to an immune system. Those with weaker immune systems are more likely to contract and die from disease.

All in all, throughout my time in class i believe these are the most important that affect us as a n society today. Doctors are still doing everything in their power to stop these diseases and the best way to destroy and eradicate thee are learning from past mistakes and remaining optimistic.

Work Cited: Artifact1 Plagues

Artifact 6 TB

Artifact 8 HIV

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. No effective cure exists for HIV. But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. Some groups of people in the United States are more likely to get HIV than others because of many factors, including their sex partners, their risk behaviors, and where they live. HIV is a virus spread through certain body fluids that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, often called T cells. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease. These special cells help the immune system fight off infections. Untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body. This damage to the immune system makes it harder and harder for the body to fight off infections and some other diseases. Opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of a very weak immune system and signal that the person has AIDS. In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by having anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV.

For the HIV-negative partner, receptive anal sex (bottoming) is the highest-risk sexual behavior, but you can also get HIV from incentive anal sex (topping). Either partner can get HIV through vaginal sex, though it is less risky for getting HIV than receptive anal sex. Sharing needles or syringes, rinse water, or other equipment (works) used to prepare drugs for injection with someone who has HIV. HIV can live in a used needle up to 42 days depending on temperature and other factors. The stigma in the U.S that HIV is frequently seen with gay or bisexual males, seen earlier through anal sex HIV is usually caught by the receiver of intercourse. In some rare cases HIV is transmitted in oral sex. Some cases have even shown that a woman has contracted HIV. That case proved that anyone can get it, Just not males.

More tools than ever are available to prevent HIV. You can use strategies such as abstinence (not having sex), limiting your number of sexual partners, never sharing needles, and using condoms the right way every time you have sex. You may also be able to take advantage of newer HIV prevention medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). If you are living with HIV, there are many actions you can take to prevent passing it to others. The most important is taking medicines to treat HIV (called antiretroviral therapy, or ART) the right way, every day. They can keep you healthy for many years and greatly reduce your chance of transmitting HIV to your partners. Tons of progress has been made in the prevention of aids. A combination of safe tools like condoms and not having sex will prevent the transmission of Aids. Even though HIV virus is upgrading and changing scientists are doing everything in their power to stop it.

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. An estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths occur each year around the world. The infection is often mild or without symptoms but can sometimes be severe. Approximately one in 10 (10%) infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours. Cholera is most likely to be found and spread in places with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene. It’s usually transmitted from a person with the cholera bacterium in the form of feces and they do it in the water. The water then affects every other person that it comes in contact with it. Cultural factors as seen in India like for a festival getting in the river and dancing or bathing is a prime example of how Cholera could become more of a pandemic. Other issues are the lack of toilets in homes in India. In Indian culture it is custom to not own a toilet where you eat sleep and worship at. This causes people to go out and dissociate in public

John Snow was an English physician and a leader in the adoption of anesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the fathers of modern epidemiology, in part because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, London, in 1854.By using a geographical grid to chart deaths from the outbreak and investigating each case to determine access to the pump water, Snow developed what he considered positive proof the pump was the source of the epidemic. Snow convinced towns officials to remove the pump from Broad street which ultimately led to the decline of cholera in London

Cholera is present on countries like Bangladesh because of the poor economy. Cholera is present day still in the 21st century. It usual strikes countries that are poor and have poor filters of water systems. Cholera is also present in Haiti still. Nepal was suffering a cholera outbreak, and the peacekeepers are suspected to have transmitted the disease through their waste. The current status of cholera is slowly declining. In January 2018, 432 suspected cases and 4 deaths were reported, a decrease of 77% and 87% respectively, compared to January 2017. Therefore, the first few weeks of 2018 had the lowest ever recorded incidence since the beginning of the epidemic. However, surveillance and response must continue at the same level of intensity to avoid a resurgence of the epidemic in 2018. Now scientist have discovered a vaccine that can fight the virus in Cholera. They are still looking for an ultimate cure to fully eradicate cholera.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal, TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected is NOT spread by shaking someone’s hand or sharing food or drink.

It’s also not transferable by kissing another person.  Symptoms of TB disease depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are growing. TB bacteria usually grow in the lungs (pulmonary TB). TB disease in the lungs may cause symptoms such as a bad cough that could last three weeks, weight loss, and chills and even signs of a fever. It also may cause profuse sweating at night. Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick years later, when their immune system becomes weak for another reason. Overall, about 5 to 10% of infected persons who do not receive treatment for latent TB infection will develop TB disease at some time in their lives. For persons whose immune systems are weak, especially those with HIV infection, the risk of developing TB disease is much higher than for persons with normal immune systems.

TB is more common and poor and harsh communities. Do to inefficient income and terrible hygiene status TB is easier to spread in these countries like Africa. A person who usually gets Tb is someone who has also contracted HIV. there are also many forms of TB.Drug-resistant TB (DR TB) is spread the same way that drug-susceptible TB is spread. TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

By the dawn of the 19th century, tuberculosis—or consumption—had killed one in seven of all people that had ever lived. Throughout much of the 1800s, consumptive patients sought “the cure” in sanatoriums, where it was believed that rest and a healthful climate could change the course of the disease. In 1882, Robert Koch’s discovery of the tubercule baccilum revealed that TB was not genetic, but rather highly contagious; it was also somewhat preventable through good hygiene. After some hesitation, the medical community embraced Koch’s findings, and the U.S. launched massive public health campaigns to educate the public on tuberculosis prevention and treatment. Browse a gallery of images depicting Americans’ fight against one of the deadliest diseases in human history. The consequence for ignoring treatment or not properly being treated is death. Only a certain number of people who are diagnosed with TB likely to live, in other words it’s the silent killer.

The “Great Hunger” was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. It is sometimes referred to, mostly outside Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine, because about two-fifths of the population was solely reliant on this cheap crop for a number of historical reasons. During the famine, about one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing the island’s population to fall by between 20% and 25%.

The potato was very important to Ireland because it could thrive in any soil. The potato was something anyone could grow, and everyone could use and survive for weeks off of. Nutritionally, the potato was excellent. If one added milk, it provided enough protein, carbohydrates, energy and minerals to lead a balanced and healthy diet. “In 1700, a Connaught farmer would perhaps have eaten one meal with potatoes in a day”. By 1800 this had increased to two. As the potato spread, the ability of a farmer to get milk or oats diminished, so many ate little but potatoes. By 1840 farmer would have eaten three potato meals a day, containing a total of around 5 to 6kg (12 to 14lb) of potatoes. The potato was introduced to Ireland as a garden crop of the gentry. It was a crop that everyone needed to survive off of. Its dependency was so high that when the potato blight happened it caused terror amongst the Irish. It also allowed people to endure the workforce buy growing and selling the crop. The blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The causative agent of late blight is the water mold Phytophthora infestans. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century. Phytophthora infestans originated in central Mexico this was believed to be the pathogen responsible for the blight. The consequences for the blight led to the death toll of about one million people and caused many to be sick. Migrations of people allowed the disease to spread and sicken more people.

There are many issues regarding the use of GMO (genetically modified organisms) but to your surprise there are also a lot of benefits regarding these organisms. The use of Casper and cast-9 allow for gene splicing and other things to help create and reproduce things. This gives scientist a chance t create food that have zero pathogens and allow the production of more food. This could be good because we can create organisms that won’t carry specific diseases as their counterpart. The problem with this is huge. What if something went wrong with the process. What if we have the next big epidemic for modifying a disease or organism. Another main issue is how far are people willing to go with this. This could lead to a case like the novel by Mary Shelley`s “Frankenstein” will all of these doctors go mad with this power. We don’t know everything or enough about these processes to ensure that this will benefit society in the long run.

Smallpox influenza has proceeded to change the course of history forever. Smallpox is an acute contagious viral disease, with fever and pustules usually leaving permanent scars “Although a precise determination of the population of the Americas in 1492 is probably impossible, there is no doubt that contact with Europeans resulted in a massive demographic collapse of the Native American population. The magnitude of the collapse and its causes remain controversial. Assessing the impact of European contact is a not simple matter because changes in population are the result of complex forces. Some scholars have argued that the devastating population decline in the New World was due primarily to imported diseases, while others have argued that the demographic catastrophe was the result of the chaos and exploitation that followed the Conquest. The rapid decline in the numbers of Native American peoples and the demands of Spanish settlers for labor, led to the establishment of the transatlantic slave trade by 1518. The Americas became the site of an unprecedented mixing of peoples and infectious agents from previously separate continents.”  With the establishment of the transatlantic slave trade, diseases from Africa were added to the epidemic burden imposed on Native Americans. The native Americans were never exposed to these pathogens so this being their first encounter a lot of them as a result got sick and many died.

During the Revolutionary War, one of the greatest threats to the Army came not from enemy bullets, but from disease.  Perhaps the most dreaded disease was smallpox. Because smallpox was common in England, most British soldiers had already been exposed and were immune, but the disease was less common in America and the average Continental Soldier was not. “As early as 1775, General George Washington knew smallpox was a serious problem for his Army.  Throughout the fall and into the winter of 1775, an outbreak raged in the city of Boston”.  Rumors around that the British were deliberately spreading the disease.  When the British finally evacuated Boston in March 1776, only Soldiers who had already had the disease were allowed into the city.  Washington ordered his doctors to keep a sharp watch for smallpox and to send infected men to the isolation hospital immediately. I believe ultimately this challenged American soldiers and caused the war to properly last longer and for more pain and suffering of the men in the armies. European colonies took a hit as well like the Spanish and conquistadors were struck by the smallpox and even southern Americas like the tribal people that inhabitant it.

Cited:

https://www.armyheritage.org/75-information/soldier-stories/209-smallpox

https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/impact-european-diseases-native-americans

Class notes

Powerpoint

Around the turn of the twentieth century, syphilis was a public health disaster in the United States of America. Because of the lack of official reporting of cases to public authorities, estimates of its incidence are difficult to obtain; however, the figure has been estimated conservatively at ten percent to fifteen percent of the general population from about 1900 to 1920, although its occurrence was presumed to be higher among men than women. Furthermore, since it is transmitted primarily through sexual contact, syphilis was a huge stigma that all individuals wanted to avoid. When people did contract the disease, they were therefore inclined to hide it from the public so as to avoid being permanently branded by their communities. Because of the disgrace associated with syphilis, the topic was generally avoided by the public and the media, such that a veil of secrecy came to conceal it.

The Tuskegee experiment is well known, because of the tragedy it caused for many people and also because of the sheer lack of ethical consideration shown by the scientists concerned. The subjects were mostly illiterate blacks from Tuskegee, Alabama. Syphilis is a sexual transmitted disease. These studies were rationalized by doctors believing that they could control and manipulate the syphilis infection. White doctors felt it was ethical and rational because it was for the cause of science but morally and ethically that is wrong to target one individual group that knows nothing about the infection.

The potential consequences of unethical studies performed are on various groups range far and wide. As see with the Tuskegee experiment it angered the black community and makes African Americans not trust white doctors or any doctor for that matter. This might cause different racial groups to lash out at one another and potentially cause race riots. Due to the study it causes people to be hesitant and scientific case studies and changes individuals willingness to participate in such experiments.

Cited:

http://www.essaysinhistory.com/syphilis-from-1880-to-1920-a-public-health-nightmare-and-the-first-challenge-to-medical-ethics/

Class notes

Movies

Christopher D. Owens

Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague. Plague is infamous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. The black death of the middle ages was historically one of the largest epidemics to ever occur in world history, killing thousands of people. Societal factors, like large overcrowded populations, bad hygiene, citizens not properly doing what is necessary to be clean, can aid in things like plague. The black death explained in the film “The Black Death” as thought to have been originated from Asia from the Mongolians. The mongols were the first major civilization to first acquire the plague, and they were believed to have spread it to eastern civilization and Europe. European populations were devastated by the plague. People often found escape goats to say this is the reason it was happening. The black death was often referred to as the end of the world. Europeans believed that it was God punishing them because of how they were acting. During this process, there was numerous  war and bloodshed. The main form of the black death was bubonic plague which caused lymph nodes to appear. Symptoms of the plague were fevers, chills, wells, himrages, and organ failure.The people that experienced the plague tried to lower the severity by killing all cats and even in some cases beating themselves. Later on, after years of the plague, citizens discovered that ticks from rats were the cause. The overall impact of the plague led to more persecution people attacked and blamed the jews for everything that happened. Social order was not really intact though most nobles were able to contract the plague. They were able to avoid because they were isolated and able to travel where the plague could not reach.

Cases in the U.S are usually seen and tracked based on morality. SCientist today know more on plagues and what pathogens the attract. PLagues are able to generate and exist in certain regions. Today test are protocols that are followed to prevent plagues from spreading the us of quartines help stop infected people from spreading plagues. We have also learned that plagues are easily transmissible by animals and people. Even the air can carry fumes that infect people. Plague has re emerged in madagascar for many reasons Due to the lack of poor public health and lack of sanitation leading to increase in rat population. They are the frequent reasons on why plague has struck madagascar .

Cites:

Film Notes

Quiz worksheet Plague