1. Environmental Health & Toxicology APES 2009 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090116-poison-video-wc.html

2. Some Vocab… WHO- World Health Organization Health- state of complete physical, mental, and social well being (not just the absence of disease) Disease- change in the body’s condition in response to an environmental factor –Ex: nutritional, chemical, biological or psychological Morbidity- illness Pathogen- disease-causing Vector- organism that spreads disease Emergent- new, not identified or absent for last 20 years Zoonotic- transmitted from animal host to humans

3. PATHOGENIC VS. NON-PATHOGENIC 43% of all disease- related deaths are from pathogens (insects, bacteria, virus, worms) 57% from cardiovascular disease, cancer, lung disease, injuries, etc.

4. Morbidity & Quality of Life Not everyone dies from disease, but still can cause severe suffering and debilitation When sick… –Crops not planted/harvested –Animals not tended –Work not done –Kids not fed Poorest people are most affected because they live in unhealthiest environments & don’t have $ for health care. Lack of adequate housing, sanitation, safe drinking water causes most cases of diarrhea which is made worse by malnutrition.

5. PATHOGENIC THREATS TO HUMAN HEALTH

6. Infectious Diseases Onchocerciasis (river blindness) –Vector: Black fly –Many roundworms get into eyes & die causing blindness –Control with insecticide sprays –Merck & Co. are providing free ivermectin to help eradicate.

7. Infectious Diseases Elephantiasis –Vector: Mosquitoes –Roundworm gets into lymph system and blocks lymph vessels causing fluid build up in the extremities. –SmithKline Beecham is supplying free albendazole to kill worms in body to help prevent spread.

8. Infectious Diseases Drancunculiasis- –Guinea worm –Vector: Drinking Water contaminated with Cyclops –3 meter long worm that lives under skin. Forms blister & must be wound out of skin to remove

9. Infectious Diseases Hemorrhagic Fever –Some Types… Ebola: Vector- unknown Lassa: Vector- Mastomys rat species Hanta: Vector- Deer mice –All cause tissue deterioration, bleeding, pulmonary edema. –Ebola has 90% mortality rate. –Highly contagious

10. Infectious Diseases Malaria –Vector: Anopheles Mosquitoes transmits Plasmodium protist into host blood stream –3 million die each year, 90% of them in Africa –In 1950’s & 60’s, sprayed DDT & knocked down from millions cases each year to thousands, now back to 2.5 million new cases –Mosquitoes are developing resistance –Fever, chills, flu-like symptoms

11. Infectious Diseases Cholera –Cause: Bacteria in unclean drinking water –Severe stomach cramping, severe diarrhea, vomiting –Thought eradicated in many places but has made comeback in some due to ships dumping bilges in harbors of cities with inadequate water treatment

12. Infectious Diseases Tuberculosis –Cause: bacteria –Eliminated but has returned stronger than ever –Some strains drug resistant –Spreads rapidly by respiratory droplets (coughing, sneezing, mucus) –EX: Russian prisons

13. EMERGING DISEASES

14. Infectious Diseases West Nile Virus –Vector: mosquitoes or blood transfusions, mother to child via nursing –Symptoms: nerve problems, stiff neck, headache, high fever, etc. –Mammals are the “dead end” infection as the virus cannot multiple in mammals –Prevention: scan blood donations; mosquito prevention

15. Infectious Diseases SARS –Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome –Vector: can be passed directly from animals (usually birds) to humans, also passed human to human –Highly contagious! –Passed via respiratory droplets (cough, mucus, sneeze) from human to human –Prevention: wash hands, destroy infected animals, keep distance from animals, quarantine infected people.

17. SARS vs. Bird Flu Similarities Both are potentially fatal viruses. Both are respiratory diseases. Both have first affected animals and then made the jump to humans. Both have similar symptoms, including fever and difficulty breathing. At present, there is no known cure for either virus. Differences Bird flu is caused by a flu virus while the SARS virus is more closely related to the common cold. SARS can be transmitted from person to person. So far, MOST CASES of bird flu have only been transmitted from birds to humans.

18. H1N1 (Swine Flu) First showed in 2009 First thought to be genetically similar to flu virus seen in pigs Now know it has similarities to viruses seen in pigs, birds, and humans Very contagious- spread from human to human Same symptoms of flu with high fever

19. Difference between Endemic, Epidemic & Pandemic Endemic- disease exists permanently in a region or population. EX: malaria Epidemic is localized outbreak of disease. EX: west nile Pandemic is worldwide outbreak of disease. EX: H1N1, small pox

20. Methods of disease prevention Insect-born diseases: Reduce mosquito population –Use biological control- frogs, fish, bats, birds –Wear more clothing in mosquito infested areas –Use insect repellant –Insecticides –Mosquito netting –Eliminate standing water Water-born diseases (cholera): Wash hands Boil water Shut down shellfish beds Provide clean drinking water Introduce sanitation for sewage Other diseases (tuberculosis, hemorrhagic fever) Quarantine infected individuals Use antibiotics on bacteria (tuberculosis)

21. What causes disease to spread so rapidly? Population density , so contact  Moving into remote areas for agriculture  exposure. Deforestation, pollution causing local & global climate change (  in temp =  in mosquito pop. And  in mosquito range) Eliminating predators so  in rodent, roach, mosquito pop.  in speed & frequency of travel (airplanes, ships) to other countries  in resistance (Malaria) = “Superbugs” Taking medication improperly leads to “superbugs” Antibiotics given to farm animals increases their resistance.