health
a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
disease
an abnormal change in the body's condition that impairs physical or psychological function -- a deleterious change in the body's condition in response to an environmental factor
Hot Zone Public Perceptions
Anthrax AIDS Flesh eating bacteria Antibiotic resistance
emergent diseases
is one never known before, or one which has been absent for at least 20 years ex) bird flu, ebola virus, HIV, sars Air travel makes it possible to spread emergent diseases around the globe quickly
As a society, we usually focus money & attention on health risks that are:
most well publicized and frightening
Historically, the greatest threats to human health came from:
psychological stress factors due to crowding
Global Disease Burden
-Chronic conditions account for premature death and disease in both developed and developing countries today ex) by 2020 heart disease may lead source of disability/ disease; global cancer increase by 50% -Life expectancy increasing as infant mortality decreases. -Diabetes is on the increase. One-third of children born in North America today will develop diabetes in their lifetime due to poor diet and little exercise. -WHO projects that psychological conditions could increase their share of the global disease burden from 10% currently to 15%. ex) Depression will be the second largest cause of all years lived with disability. -Tobacco related lung diseases are increasing. Biggest single cause of death worldwide.
Disability-adjustied life years (DALYs)
combine premature deaths and loss of healthy life resulting from illness or disability
Infectious Diseases
-Communicable diseases are still responsible for about 1/3 of all disease-related deaths -Majority in countries with poor nutrition, sanitation, and vaccination -Better nutrition, clean water, improved sanitation and inoculation of children could eliminate most of the deaths
Ecological diseases
-White nose syndrome in bats due to a fungus recently introduced into the eastern US -California sea lions have herpes 1 virus spread to them from human sewage. -An imported fungus is killing oak, redwoods, and Douglas fir trees in California. -Dermo, a parasite of oysters, is spreading rapidly along the east coast due to climate warming.
Conservation medicine
examines how environmental changes threaten the health of humans and natural communities
Pesticide Resistance
The protozoan parasite that causes malaria is now resistant to most antimalarial drugs, while the mosquitoes that transmit the protozoan have developed resistance to many insecticides. -Natural selection and the ability of organisms to evolve rapidly -Human tendencies to overuse pesticides speeds up this process
Antibiotics
are chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria
Antibiotic Resistance
Many people do not finish the full-course, creating resistant strains of bacteria ex) MRSA spreading in hospitals At least half of the 100 million antibiotic doses prescribed in the U.S. every year are unnecessary or are the wrong drug Antibiotics are routinely fed to U.S. farm animals to stimulate weight gain. These are excreted in urine and feces, and find their way into surface waters where they create more antibiotic resistance
Leading Cause of Disease Burden
1990 2020 pneumonia heart disease diarrhea depression perinatal conditions traffic accidents
Risk Factors for infectious disease
contamination of water lack of sanitation lack of education ideal climates for transmission of vector-bourne diseases like malaria more prevalent in developing countries
Factors contributing to the Spread of Contagious Diseases
-high population densities -settlers pushing in to remote areas -human-caused environmental change -speed and frequency of modern travel -contact with water or food contaminated w/ human waste
Contributors to municipal wastewater collection systems
Homes. Commercial establishments. Hospitals. Industries. Storm water.
Pathogens
disease causing organisms including: viruses, bacteria, protozoans, parasitic worms including flukes
Malaria
2 million die per year major disease in tropical areas
Size of Microbial Pathogens
largest to smallest: giardia, crypto, bacteria, virus virus is smaller than red blood cell
Protozoa
Found in Animal Waste and Waste Water from Municipal and Agricultural Sources
Cryptosporidium
-protozoa -diarrhea related to drinking and recreational water -2 genotype and humans are the only source of 1 while cattle show 2 -UV and ozone appear to be successful in the inactivation of this parasite. - water facilities try to treat for this but difficult b/c the inability to easily determine oocyst viability and infectivity
Giardia
-protozoan parasite -transmitted b/w hosts by direct fecal-oral contact through contaminated water of food -as of 1997 most common diagnosed parasitic disease in US -infection is common in cattle/ dairy cows; dogs/cats -found in some water treatment plants -High chlorine, UV, and ozone appear to kill cysts well -Aerobic digestion aides reduction in cysts
The Helminths
Found in municipal and agricultural wastes
Ascaris
-Worldwide, about 1 billion people are believed to be infected -passed through feces of another person
Trichuris
-prevalence of Trichuris trichiura in the United states of 1.2% -Humans were infected with this parasite when untreated wastewater was used for irrigation purposes in Jerusalem
Taeniid tapeworm eggs
-THE EGGS ARE IN HUMAN FECES -uncommon in US but can be high in countries w/ high immigrant populations (Latin America/ Africa)
Taeniid tapeworm
-beef/ pork tape worm are from eating rare meat and occurs in intestinal stage
Examples of biological hazards
Pathogenic bacteria Fungi Viruses Protozoans Worms
How do we reduce infectious disease?
-Reduce: overcrowding, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, inadequate health care systems, malnutrition, & poverty; -Increase funding for disease monitoring -Sharply reduce antibiotic use to prevent evolution of resistant organisms; -Protect biodiversity as a means of reducing disease spread; -Increase research
Survival Times of Pathogens on Soils and Plants
longest to shortest: helminths, bacteria, viruses, protozoa