Month: April 2017

HIV originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1920. It is believed that a similar virus (called Simian Immunodeficiency Virus or SIV) crossed from chimpanzees to humans via blood contact or consumption. It is a common practice in these regions to eat animals killed in the jungle (called “bushmeat”) which can spread a variety of dangerous diseases (including Ebola). Regardless of its source, its transmission through sexual intercourse and lack of defining symptoms allowed it to spread almost entirely unnoticed for decades. The virus remained largely undetected until the 1980s, at which point it was noticed that small groups … Continue reading HIV

Cholera is a waterborne disease that causes severe dehydration through extreme diarrhea and vomiting. This level of dehydration can often kill cholera victims within one day of being infected. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, living without access to clean drinking water, lack of understanding about disease, and vectors carrying the contagion to food have all been factors that allowed cholera to infect and kill millions of people worldwide. Recently, the El Tor biotype has produced victims with mild symptoms who are more likely to travel and has increased cholera’s ability to spread to other countries. The countries that are at the greatest … Continue reading Artifact 7: Cholera