Archive for category: Disease

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Common Diseases in Nepal and Why The Country is Susceptible

Common Diseases in Nepal
In order to talk about common diseases in Nepal, one must first examine some of the facts and statistics that make the country prone to disease. Nepal, a Himalayan country with a population of nearly 29 million, is located in South Asia. It is home to some of the highest mountains in the world, such as the third tallest mountain, Kanchenjunga, situated on the border of Nepal and India, and the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, located on its border with China. The birthplace of Gautama Buddha, Nepal is a favorite tourist destination for mountaineers and trekkers, while also attracting visitors for its rich cultural heritage, ancient temples and palaces.

Nepal was a monarchy for centuries until it was abolished in 2008 and the country was declared a republic. It is one of the poorest countries in Asia, and between 2010 and 2011 nearly 25 percent of its population was living on less than $1.25 a day. The mountainous and tectonically active terrain makes Nepal highly prone to natural disasters, which are some of the most common causes of death in the country, and obstruct its development. A devastating 2015 earthquake that killed nearly nine thousand people and injured thousands more remains one of the worst disasters in the country’s history.

Plagued with geological vulnerability, poverty and the associated issues of poor sanitation, air pollution and a lack of proper healthcare, Nepal is replete with both communicable and non-communicable diseases. According to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the World Health Organization (WHO), below is a list of common diseases in Nepal with some of the highest death rates.

 

Most Common Diseases in Nepal

 

  1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – The term COPD encompasses a set of chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is the leading cause of death in Nepal. COPD killed 17,200 people in the country in 2012, and there was a 22.1 percent increase in its death rate from 2005 to 2015. Long-term exposure to lung irritants causes this disease, and cigarette smoking, use of biomass fuels and air pollution are some of the key risk factors.
  2. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) – Also called coronary artery disease, IHD killed 17,100 people in Nepal in 2012 alone and is the second leading cause of death in the country. The major predisposing factors for this disease are high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet and diabetes. The country saw a surge in some of the conventional risk factors such as obesity and hypertension.
  3. Cerebrovascular disease – Cerebrovascular disease encompasses a set of disorders that affect blood vessels and alter blood supply to the brain, which can lead to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also known as a stroke. A leading cause of mortality in the world, strokes killed 15,300 people in Nepal in 2012. The country has seen a 25.7 percent increase in its death rate since 2005. Hypertension, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes are the main risk factors for strokes.
  4. Tuberculosis (TB) – An airborne bacterial infectious disease, TB is a major public health threat in Nepal. With several innovative programs run by the government in close partnership with collaborators, Nepal has achieved tremendous progress in controlling TB, and there has been a 19.1 percent decrease in TB related death rate from 2005 to 2015. Still, TB remains one of the major causes of death in the country.
  5. Lower respiratory infections – Lower respiratory infections are some of the most common infectious diseases and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adults worldwide. They include conditions such as pneumonia, acute or chronic bronchitis and bronchiolitis. These diseases in Nepal were responsible for 13,100 deaths in 2012. As with TB, the last decade saw an impressive decrease (42.3 percent) in its death rate in the country.

According to the annual report of the Department of Health Services, Government of Nepal, for the years 2014 and 2015, combined efforts by the government and various national and international organizations toward the prevention and control of diseases in Nepal have achieved improved health outcomes over the years. These outcomes include higher life expectancy and reduced maternal and infant mortality rates. The report also identifies existing problems and challenges in the health sector and delineates possible actions for addressing these issues for continued progress.

– Ranjna Madan-Lala

Photo: Flickr

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10 of the Most Common Diseases in Afghanistan

Common Diseases in Afghanistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called the health status in Afghanistan one of the worst in the world. Most of the common diseases in Afghanistan are communicable, and epidemics are happening more frequently than in the past. The health system is trying to recover from decades of neglect, under-funding, institutional vacuum and fragmentation. These are the 10 most common diseases in Afghanistan:

  1. Tuberculosis plagues nearly 35 percent of Afghanistan’s citizens. This respiratory disease can be caused by overcrowding, cold-conditions and can be transmitted through the use of a temporary shelter.
  2. Malaria occurs more often during the warmer months and is spread through mosquito bites. It causes a flu-like illness, can be deadly if untreated and is found all over the country.
  3. Cholera often occurs in epidemics because it is caused by bacteria found in water and food that has been contaminated with feces. It spreads quickly in places with low-quality water treatment, unsanitary surroundings and poor hygiene.
  4. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) occurs from tick bites or the touching of livestock animals’ blood or tissue. Outbreaks can have up to a 40 percent fatality rate. It can take a week for symptoms to occur, which include fever, myalgia, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, backache, headache, sore eyes, photophobia, mood swings and confusion.
  5. Measles is another respiratory disease and is very contagious. A small rate of measles vaccination cause this disease to be more common in India, and malnutrition and vitamin A deficiencies also contribute to the rate that children are affected.
  6. Meningococcal meningitis is much like measles being respiratory in nature and highly contagious. It also occurs year-round, peaking between November and February.
  7. Hepatitis A is commonly contracted during childhood for most Afghans and then gets spread through consuming food and water that has been contaminated by contaminated fecal matter. Vaccines are available, but symptoms like fever, jaundice and diarrhea can occur for six to nine months for 15 percent of victims.
  8. Poliomyelitis (polio) seriously threatens many Afghan children. This infectious viral disease is mostly spread through the faecal-oral route, prompted by inadequately sanitized surroundings. Paralysis can even occur if the disease moves to the nervous system. There is no cure for polio and vaccinations are recommended for prevention.
  9. Rabies is a viral disease of mammals. People are affected through animal bites, especially from dogs. Symptoms start with a fever and headache but then can move into more serious neurological symptoms. Death usually occurs within days of symptoms.
  10. Typhoid fever is another disease that can be picked up through contaminated water. The disease only lives in humans’ bloodstreams and intestinal tracts so that it gets found in an affected person’s feces. However, the disease gets commonly spread in unsanitary areas of the world.

These 10 common diseases in Afghanistan can be deadly when untreated. Luckily, many medical relief organizations are working to eradicate the likelihood of these diseases and to provide vaccinations to those in need of them.

– Emily Arnold

Photo: Google

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4 Common Diseases in the Central African Republic

Common Diseases in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is a nation with a long history of political turmoil and humanitarian crises. It is also consistently named among the poorest nations in the world and has some of the worst global health indicators. The country has the sixth highest infant mortality rate and the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the world. As recently as 2013, a major crisis displaced over 25% of the population and almost collapsed the nation’s already precarious health system. Although it seems as if the CAR is finally able to stabilize its political situation—for the first time in its history, the nation has a democratically-elected president and parliament—endemic poverty and poor health infrastructure coupled with a tropical climate makes the prevalence of disease a major problem. Here are four of the most common diseases in the Central African Republic:

  1. Malaria: The mosquito-spread disease is endemic to the Central African Republic. Malaria infects a large portion of the population at least once a year. It accounts for 40% of all medical consultations and is the leading cause of death amongst children. Malaria is the primary public health issue and one of the most common diseases in the Central African Republic. Many international organizations, in partnership with the government, have attempted to carry out projects such as free treatment for children under five and mosquito netting distributions to curb the effect of the disease in the nation.
  2. HIV/AIDS: The CAR has one of the highest rates of HIV in Central and Western Africa. The rate is at 4.9% and is one of the most common diseases in the Central African Republic. People in urban areas, especially women, are at the highest risk of contracting the disease. Due to constant conflict and political turmoil, treatment is often hard to find. Organizations such as the UNHCR help diagnose and provide treatment, but they often suffer in conflict situations. In the 2013 crisis, looters descended on several facilities.
  3. Cholera: In 2016, the medical community panicked at reports of a cholera outbreak in the Central African Republic. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. After the latest humanitarian crisis in 2013, thousands of people were displaced and access to clean water became very limited. This led to a breeding ground for cholera and its ensuing spread throughout the country. UNICEF and other organizations quickly mobilized to contain the outbreak.
  4. Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious bacterial disease that affects the lungs and spreads easily in crowded spaces. Over the past decades, TB has been on the rise in the Central African Republic. The forced displacement of large swathes of the population due to constant ongoing crises often disrupts treatment and prevention operations. Tuberculosis is also a leading killer of HIV-positive people. In 2012, there were 8,084 reported cases of TB—a 44% increase from the year before.

The tropical climate of the Central African Republic means it is already a hotspot for contagious and infectious diseases; a precarious health system coupled with endemic poverty makes matters even worse. Although many international organizations have made a concerted effort to address these issues, the constant political conflict and instability make it extremely hard for them to properly do their job. The international community should help the CAR by not only providing medical aid and supplies but also helping it build a stable government that will properly handle these issues.

– Alan Garcia-Ramos

Photo: Flickr

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The Four Common Diseases in Egypt You Need to Know

Common Diseases in Egypt
According to the CIA World Factbook, the four most common diseases in Egypt are bacterial diarrhea, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and schistosomiasis. People in the country are at intermediate risk for contracting these illnesses.

Bacterial diarrhea, also referred to as bacterial gastroenteritis, is a stomach and intestine infection. It is spread through eating or drinking contaminated food and water. Depending on which bacteria are ingested, different symptoms may surface. The symptoms most associated with bacterial diarrhea are abdominal pain/cramps, loss of appetite, bloody stool, nausea and vomiting.

Fortunately, it only takes a couple of days for someone to recover from this infection fully. In the meantime, they should ward off dehydration by drinking enough fluids and getting enough rest, especially young children. If nausea and vomiting are preventing someone from getting their fluids, getting fluids via IV is also an option.

Enteric fever, more commonly known as typhoid fever, is a life-threatening bacterial disease. People carry the Salmonella Typhi in their bloodstream and intestinal tract. When carriers or infected individuals shed the bacteria in their stool, they can infect others by handling food or drinks. People can also be infected if they wash food with or drink contaminated water.

Symptoms of typhoid fever include feelings of weakness, headaches, stomach pains, loss of appetite and, in some cases, rashes. Because these symptoms are not unique to typhoid fever, getting stool or blood samples tested is the best way to know if someone is infected.

There are vaccines and antibiotics available to prevent and treat typhoid fever.

Another one of the most common diseases in Egypt is hepatitis A. The hepatitis A virus causes viral liver disease. It is transmitted by ingesting contaminated food and water or direct contact with an infected individual.

While hepatitis A by itself is rarely fatal and does not cause chronic liver disease, it can cause incapacitating symptoms and fatal acute liver failure if left untreated. Symptoms of hepatitis A include jaundice, malaise, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort and dark-colored urine. These symptoms can manifest anywhere from mild to severe.

At the time of writing, there is no cure for hepatitis A, only preventative methods. These include drinking clean water, proper disposal of sewage materials and practicing good hygiene with clean water.

Schistosomiasis, also referred to as bilharzia, is a chronic and acute disease brought on by parasitic worms. Anyone who comes into contact with infected water is at risk of contracting it.

In reaction to the invading worms’ eggs, an infected person can experience diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloody stool. In extreme cases, there may also be liver and/or spleen enlargement. Children are at risk of having their growth stunted, developing learning complications and anemia. Fortunately, treatment can typically undo these effects.

As of now, ingesting clean water, avoiding exposure to contaminated water, similar preventative measures and taking the prescribed medications are the ways to deal with schistosomiasis.

While the most common diseases in Egypt may not all have cures, they are certainly not a death sentence. With proper preventative care and medication, people can wrest control of their bodies from these illnesses.

– Jada Haynes

Photo: Flickr

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Common Diseases in Zimbabwe

Common Diseases in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is an African country situated just above South Africa. Known for their rich culture and sense of community, Zimbabwe is the twenty-second poorest nation in the world, according to Business Insider.

With 66% of Zimbabweans working in agriculture, it is not uncommon for diseases with agricultural origins to spread. Here are some of the most common diseases in Zimbabwe for those working in agriculture:

Cholera

Cholera is a contaminated food- or water-borne disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Both of these symptoms can lead to dehydration and even death. Between August 2008 and July 2009, there was a massive cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. According to World Nomads, “cholera deaths have decreased recently, although the disease is still present and may break out again with little warning.”

Malaria

This terrifying disease spreads through mosquitos. For Zimbabweans working in the fields, malaria is a highly possible occurrence and “a major killer across Africa.” Protection from this deadly disease is a simple mosquito net. However, with the average African living on about $3 a day, even a tool that could save their lives is too costly.

Rabies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that is spread in the saliva of infected animals.” Working outside with livestock, Zimbabweans in agriculture can be very prone to this terminal disease.

Although these three common diseases in Zimbabwe are especially susceptible to those in agriculture, anybody in Zimbabwe could become infected with them. Here are some of the other common diseases in Zimbabwe that could affect everyone:

HIV/AIDS

Zimbabwe has a very high rate of HIV/AIDS. According to World Nomads, “15 percent of the population has the virus,” and it is the number one killer of people in Zimbabwe. This sexually-transmitted disease is incredibly harmful and a huge issue in many African countries.

Typhoid

Typhoid fever is very similar to cholera in that this disease spreads through the intake of unclean food or water. However, typhoid is not always as serious as cholera. Symptoms of typhoid include high fever, weakness and stomach pains, but rarely death.

Measles

Measles starts when an infected person sneezes or coughs, and continues with fever, cough and red patches on the body. Although there has been some progress on the measles disease, it is still among common diseases in Zimbabwe. In the 1990s, “measles was considered one of the five major causes of morbidity and mortality among children aged <5 years,” according to the CDC.

These common diseases in Zimbabwe are an issue in the everyday lives of natives. With increased education and aid, these health problems will become a thing of the past.

– Sydney Missigman

Photo: Flickr

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Preventing the Spread of Common Diseases in Chad

Diseases in Chad

The degree of the risk to get infectious diseases in Chad, the biggest landlocked country on the African continent, is critically high. Typhoid, cholera, malaria and hepatitis E tend to become more widespread in the rainy season.

Chad’s population continuously grows due to the country’s high fertility rate and a large youth cohort. More than 65% of the populace is under the age of 25, although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Diseases in Chad caused the world’s third-highest maternal mortality rate. According to UNICEF, 33% of children between 12-23 months are not vaccinated against childhood diseases.

Among blood or waterborne diseases in Chad, the most concerning are bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever. Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, water contact disease schistosomiasis, respiratory disease meningococcal meningitis and some of the animal contact diseases including rabies had a large outbreak in 2016 and are also among the most threatening. In the past decade, Chad has faced epidemics of meningitis, measles and cholera with increasing severity.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) identified the first hepatitis E cases and treated 885 patients with Acute Jaundice Symptoms (AJS), with numbers increasing to an average of around 60 new cases a week. AJS commonly causes the yellowing of the skin and eyes, which can indicate if a person has hepatitis E. In total, 45% of cases tested positive for hepatitis E. Since September 2016, 11 have died, including four pregnant women among hospitalized individuals, but the fatality rate could be underestimated. Nearly 90% of the AJS cases were reported from Am Timan which appears to be the epicenter of the outbreak.

The government of Chad officially declared a cholera epidemic on August 30, 2010. In January 2011, the number of cases started to increase again and during September, 4,410 cases and 83 deaths were reported. The high mortality rate appeared due to the weakness of the monitoring system, the lack of appropriate health strategies and of access to health services for patients and the poor quality of existing health services.

As with some other diseases in Chad, cholera appears during the rainy season in the regions surrounding the Lac Chad. In 2014, 172 cases of cholera were notified in the regions of Lac, Mayo Kebbi and N’Djamena. In 2016, no cases were notified. Given the low levels of access to a sustainable water source (only 52% of Chad’s population have access) and improved sanitation (12%), it is likely to be a continuous problem.

In 2016, more than a million cases of malaria were notified among other diseases in Chad. UNICEF and the World Health Organization have launched a distribution of bed nets, medicines, malnutrition treatment for children under five and stimulated prenatal services such as vaccination and preventive malaria treatment.

The causes of malaria are dirty water and garbage that become the nests for mosquitoes. More important, even with vaccination, is to use nets, especially covering children’s and elders’ beds, as the disease affects them the most.

Travelers to Chad should follow standard hygiene recommendations in terms of water and food safety. These should protect them against hepatitis E, as the risk of person to person transmission is very low. In order to control these epidemics and reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with cholera, malaria, yellow fever, measles and meningitis outbreaks, UNICEF in collaboration with Chad’s government plans to launch mass vaccination of the entire population and returnees of all ages to prevent further spread of epidemic diseases in Chad.

– Yana Emets
Photo: Flickr

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Care Helps Limit Top Diseases in Monaco

top diseases in Monaco
Monaco already is making records with the highest life expectancy in the world. The average expectancy is 90 years old, which crushes the average worldwide life expectancy of 72. Monaco has a very small population, coming in at 37,731 in 2015. There aren’t many of the top diseases in Monaco that aren’t seen around the world, yet communicable diseases are coming in very low at just 6%. Non-communicable deaths account for 86% of the total number of fatalities in the country.

Non-communicable deaths account for the vast majority of the deaths and diseases in Monaco. Just more than a quarter of all non-communicable deaths are people under the age of 60. Just about 17% of males die before reaching the age of 60, while females are sitting at about 8.5%.

The top two of the top diseases in Monaco are cardiovascular diseases at 33% and the various cancers at 28% of total deaths in Monaco. These are both on the higher end of both of these spectrums as compared to the rest of the world. Cancers, especially, usually have a lower proportional mortality percentage. The treatment and care for those that are stricken with these diseases are very good in Monaco thus contributing to its very high life expectancy.

Injuries and other communicable diseases make up just 14% of the diseases in Monaco. It is fairly common for communicable diseases to be very low around the world in each country.

The only two risk factors that were stated in 2008 by the World Health Organization were physical inactivity and tobacco use. This is a good trend with the majority of the other risk factors not existent among the citizens of Monaco.

Monaco is a fairly safe area to travel to with the majority of the country in the higher income group and better off than most of the world. Just routine vaccinations should be enough before leaving.

Monaco is a country with a lot of wealth and resources to be able to take care of those that are in need. The life expectancy is not all that surprising when looking at the resources at hand to help those that need it.

– Brendin Axtman

Photo: Flickr

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Combating Non-Communicable Diseases in the Maldives

Top Diseases in Maldives
The top diseases in the Maldives mirror those in much of the rest of the globe. Non-communicable illnesses dominate the majority of the diseases in the Maldives. However, at 77 years, life expectancy in the Maldives is much better than the majority of the world. In addition, the annual mortality rate among healthy people in the Maldives is 578 per 100,000 people. This is with a very small population of around 400,000.

Worldwide, there needs to be more of a focus and research on cardiovascular diseases. It impacts hundreds of thousands of individuals every year, and it is the most common disease in the Maldives. Of all the major diseases, 37% of them are various types of cardiovascular disease.

The majority of the top diseases in the Maldives are non-communicable, including different cardiovascular diseases. Some of the other non-communicable diseases that impact the Maldives included chronic respiratory diseases, which have a mortality rate of just over 9%. Mortality rates for diabetes and other blood and endocrine diseases sit at just over 8%. Cancer is a major disease around the world that is receiving a lot of research, and the mortality rate in the Maldives is sitting at 7.5%.

Unintentional injuries also have a high spot on the list of mortality rates at just over 7%. Additionally, self-harm is just over 2%. Injuries seem to be a lot higher on lists than other countries around the world and are avoidable. The unintentional injuries are tough to prevent, but self-harm is preventable with proper help and care.

One of the most common communicable diseases is neonatal disorders (6% mortality rate). Additionally, diarrhea and lower respiratory diseases have a 5% mortality rate. These are rarely seen around the world.

Risk factors in the country include tobacco smoking, with 42% of current male smokers at risk and only 7% of females at risk of medical problems caused by tobacco smoking. Elevated blood pressure is also a problem, with 23% of the country having blood pressure problems. The other major risk factor in the Maldives is obesity.

Zika is still a major concern in the Maldives, so there are many precautions for individuals visiting the area. Travelers need to be aware of other diseases in the area and have their vaccinations up-to-date before entering the Maldives.

Non-communicable diseases dominate the list of top diseases in the Maldives. There needs to be more of a focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases in this region.

– Brendin Axtman
Photo: Flickr

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HIV/AIDS: One of the Top Diseases in Antigua and Barbuda

Top Diseases in Antigua and Barbuda
The country of Antigua and Barbuda currently has the fourth-lowest mortality rate in the Caribbean region. Despite a lower mortality rate, in this small country of 90,755 people, communicable diseases are some of the most deadly. Diarrhea and lower respiratory infections are the most common diseases, followed by the highly infectious HIV/AIDS virus, which affects 2.2% of the population and is one of the top diseases in Antigua and Barbuda.

Because HIV/AIDS is responsible for 19.4% of deaths in Antigua and Barbuda, the government has taken direct action to prevent, treat, and inform people of the disease.

In 2001, Antigua and Barbuda officially called upon the United States for a systematic global response to the HIV/AIDS virus—a plea that was met with generous funding for HIV antiretroviral drugs available to the country for increased accessible treatment. Further, the U.S. and other external agencies including the U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) assisted the country in attaining accessible HIV testing to all individuals. Since then, the HIV/AIDS-awareness response in the country has grown tremendously, though the government still faces hardship in preventing one of the top diseases in Antigua and Barbuda.

In 2013, the HIV mortality rate had increased by an alarming 183 percent since 1990, and in 2015, the country, unfortunately, saw 48 new cases of diagnosed HIV in both males and females between 20 and 60 years of age.

The good news is that the country’s government provides continuous HIV/AIDS treatment and care services for free and operates from its own national response team with some help from outside relief organizations.

In 2015, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), tested and counseled more than 3,000 people in the Caribbean region and provided preventative, comprehensive and evidence-based interventions for more than 7,000 individuals. Progress like this proves that preventative care and external aid, paired with $22 million in funding to the region in 2016, has led to great success in combating one of the top diseases in Antigua and Barbuda.

Internal efforts to combat the disease have dramatically increased the speed of treatment and prevention in the country as well. In 2015, the Barbuda Council collaborated with agencies such as Antigua State College, Community Development Division and AIDS Secretariat and Partners, to host 36 HIV awareness programs. Among these were multiple counseling sessions including testing and distribution of informational materials and health fairs encouraging the education of HIV prevention.

Additionally, the government now provides a clinical care team to all patients, and health care providers receive training for new HIV Care and Treatment Guidelines.

Furthermore, the country is working to overcome challenges of treating HIV, such as limited data on people most at risk, by attempting to increase HIV testing for all people and preparing to mobilize HIV assessment and care into primary health care.

Because of relief efforts both inside and outside the country, the disease is becoming less prevalent. For example, premature deaths due to the virus decreased by 28.9 percent between 2005 and 2015. It is the government’s ambitious programming and training for the population that should continually decrease the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Antigua and Barbuda.

– Olivia Cyr

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About SARS

SARS
SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, comes from a coronavirus. Symptoms center around the respiratory system can lead to severe breathing problems if the patient goes without treatment. Here are ten facts about SARS:

  1. The first widespread case occurred in late 2002 in the Guangdong Province of the Republic of China. The delayed health response led to a global spread of the disease on par with the Ebola epidemic of 2014. The final statistic from WHO showed over 8,000 reported illnesses and more than 700 deaths.
  2. The disease was hard to diagnose due to its irregularity and similarity to pneumonia. Until 2000, cases of SARS were considered rare. Therefore, medical treatment of the virus was scarce, especially in developing countries where the spread happened fastest.
  3. Of the 194 countries that are the Member States of WHO, only 64 of them have efficient alert and response plans for unusual and rare disease outbreaks.
  4. The disease might have originated in animals. A report from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region showed that “the palm civet in southern China may have played a crucial role in this respect and that the close relationship between animals and humans seems to have been a likely precondition for the virus to jump the species barrier.” A solution to preventing the initial infection of humans with SARS is to halt unhygienic veterinary and animal husbandry practices that are common in these areas.
  5. In Singapore, 76% of infections occurred in a healthcare facility. Additionally, SARS infected 42 percent of those were health care workers; 49 nurses, 13 physicians and 22 other specialists. Among the healthcare workers, there were no cases among laboratory workers or pathologists.
  6. The source of the Taiwanese outbreak was a 42-year-old laundry worker in a hospital who continued to work despite showing symptoms of SARS. It took 6 days for professionals to diagnose SARS.
  7. The epidemic in Taiwan was mainly due to the health care system’s poorly-executed response.
  8. In October 2012, the National Select Agent Registry added the SARS-associated CoV to its repertoire. The Registry handles the regulation and possession of bacteria, viruses and toxins that pose a potential threat to the public. The addition of the virus to this list ensures maintenance of a national database as well as inspections of objects that may possess, use or transfer SARS-CoV.
  9. SARS is no longer a large-scale threat, due to the global response and the willingness of countries to share their medical information with other countries to quickly control and eradicate the virus.
  10. Future outbreaks are still possible since the virus lives in wild bats and civets. Fortunately, since the end of the epidemics in 2004, there have been no reports of human cases.

SARS is no longer an imminent health concern, but reflecting on this outbreak can help prevent the spread of another viral outbreak like this. Training medical facilities in how to handle highly infectious diseases like SARS and open communication between health professionals around the globe is key to preventing the spread of such diseases.

– Taylor Elgarten

Photo: Google