The Tropical Diseases F.A.Q.

Monday, February 11th, 2008

There are many questions regarding tropical diseases due to the extensive International travel. Passengers, whether they are business or pleasure, want to know what tropical diseases they may encounter at their destination and how to prepare for them. Here is a listing of popular questions regarding tropical diseases and the answers to them.

What is a “neglected tropical disease”?

Neglected tropical diseases are called that because they occur in the most impoverished populations of the developing world and are thus neglected because their governments cannot afford to treat the people who contract them. They do not normally flourish in areas where there is economic or healthcare support so they are isolated to the remote, rural, urban slums or conflict zones of developing areas of the world. They go mostly unnoticed by the more economically stable countries.

What exactly is dengue fever?

Dengue fever is a viral tropical disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito that has been infected with one of four dengue viruses. The symptoms are flu-like and the disease is prone to be contracted by infants, young children and weakened adults.

What is African sleeping sickness?

It is technically called human African trypanosomiasis and is a widespread tropical disease transmitted by the infected tsetse fly. Individuals at risk are those who live in the rural areas of East, West and Central Africa or those who travel there.

How can we rid the world of leprosy?

There needs to be awareness programs aimed at the developing countries where leprosy is still an active tropical disease. The stigma attached to leprosy needs to be removed so individuals who have it can seek medical help. There needs to be adequate healthcare and drugs available to those who need it.

Should children be vaccinated against yellow fever?

Yes, the best way to prevent yellow fever is for those individuals who live in areas where yellow fever is active to be vaccinated against it. Individuals who are traveling to those areas should also receive the vaccination. The yellow fever 17 D vaccine is safe and is very effective if administered more than a week before exposure.

Is guinea worm caused by an actual worm?

The tropical disease guinea worm is indeed an actual worm. It is a large roundworm that can be ingested by drinking contaminated water. The disease is normally manifested by a painful blister on the leg.

Which mosquito transmits malaria?

Malaria is transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito. The disease is caused by a one-celled parasite (plasmodium) that they mosquito has picked up from infected people when they bite them.

What can I do to protect myself from tropical diseases?

Only drink bottled water while traveling internationally. Eat only well cooked food and skin any fruit you might eat. Never eat food that has been left out. Use quality sleeping nets and insect repellant. Do not go outside between dusk and dawn. Call your doctor for an appointment at least 6 weeks before leaving for a foreign country to receive any protection from tropical diseases in the area, that are available like antimalaria medicine, other preventatives like vaccinations.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Tropical Diseases.

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The Spread of the Deadly Ebola Virus

Friday, February 8th, 2008

There are four subtypes of the Ebola virus (Filoviridae family) – Zaïre, Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire and Reston. Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is an illness which causes death in 50% to 90% of those who contract it.

Ebola was first identified in 1976 after epidemics in Yambuku, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nzara and also southern Sudan. There were 431 deaths in 1976. In 1977 there were 22 deaths attributed to ebola. A large epidemic in Kikwit, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1995 claimed an additional 250 fatalities. During 2000 and 2001 there were 224 deaths. Between October of 2001 and December of 2003, several outbreaks of the Zaïre subtype, were reported in Gabon and the Republic of Congo that resulted in 254 deaths. In total 1,200 people have lost their lives to the ebola virus since it was first identified.

Transmission is by direct contact with an infected person’s blood or fluid secretions, or their organs (transplants). When mourners have direct contact with the body of someone who has died from Ebola virus transmission can occur to those who touch the body.

Animal to human transmission has been documented and has occurred between cynomolgus monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, and forest antelope (both dead and alive).

It is also possible for health care workers to be infected when they are treating patients with Ebola. The use of correct infection control measures and the use of adequate barrier methods should be used to avoid this transmission mode.

The incubation period for Ebola haemorrhagic fever is 21 days.

The symptoms for Ebola are very sudden onset of fever, an intense feeling of weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Following these initial symptoms vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, impaired kidney and liver function occurs. In rare cases internal and external bleeding occurs also.

Diagnosis:

Laboratory tests reveal low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes. Other specialized tests reveal specific antigens and or genes of the ebola virus. Cell cultures will grow the virus. Laboratory cultures are an extreme biohazard and are only conducted under maximum biological containment conditions.

New diagnostic techniques include non-invasive methods of testing by way of saliva and urine samples.

Ebola patients need intensive care as they require intravenous fluids or oral rehydration to re-hydrate and for the electrolytes.

There are several vaccines being tested and a new drug therapy is being tested. Hyper-immune sera on animals have not shown any promise for protection against ebola; so the efforts so far to find a preventative measure have not been successful so far.

It is imperative that suspected cases of ebola be kept in isolation and strict nursing procedures followed to help prevent the spread of the disease.

It is important to contact anyone that may have been exposed to Ebola so that they can be isolated and monitored to help stem the spread of the disease.

Hospital and all other healthcare personnel should be adequately informed about Ebola to help stop the spread of infection through patient care contact. Protective equipment and other essentials like gowns, gloves, masks and goggles must be worn at all times when patient contact is made.

Because transmission can also occur through soiled clothing and bed linens these must be properly disinfected before these items can be handled.

Communities where active cases of Ebola are located, should keep the community members well informed about the disease and the measures that are being taken to contain the disease. Containment of the disease also includes burial procedures for deceased Ebola victims.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Tropical Diseases.

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The Neglected Tropical Diseases

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

Do these diseases sound familiar to you…leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, or trachoma? If you answered no, do not feel bad because many individuals rarely hear about these tropical diseases anymore. The reason is that industrialized countries do not usually have to deal with these diseases. They are the diseases that still ravage poor countries.

Poor countries have little money to make known their plight to the rest of the world. To make the voices of despair heard around the world the Neglected Tropical Disease Coalition (NTDC) was formed. The NTDC is made up of individual disease alliances, as well as international agencies, their corporate partners, interested academic institutions, some faith-based groups, and also non-governmental organizations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify diseases that are “targets of opportunity” with the purpose of improving global health.

The six diseases mentioned earlier are being targeted to help control or to eliminate the diseases altogether. What will make this possible is the joint effort of all the participants in NTDC to cooperate with scientific breakthroughs and corporate philanthropic efforts to fund research and treatment programs.

Success can almost be seen in the treatment of trachoma in Morocco and leprosy has declined globally. When disease is irradiated in these countries, the citizens become more productive and the global economy improves. This is why all countries industrial or poor should care about these neglected tropical diseases.

Improved economies have an impact on the global economy because of world trade. Financial impact and the health of local residents is not the only concern. International travelers, many those who are called to serve are also greatly at risk to contract these neglected tropical diseases.

These neglected tropical diseases not only have an impact on the citizens of the poor countries where they are found, but any individual traveling to those countries are at risk for exposure to these tropical diseases including missionaries, and also volunteers with the peace corps. These individuals deserve the opportunity to serve without being exposed to these neglected diseases.

The statistics are sad and should be alarming to everyone. 3 billion children, women and men are at risk from these 6 neglected tropical diseases. 350 million individuals have already been disabled or impaired severely by exposure to these neglected tropical diseases.

The cost to work productivity is $10 billion annually or more. This loss represents revenue that could have boosted the country out of poverty and enabled it to become productive in the global economy.

The ability to diagnose, treat and even prevent these 6 diseases exists; the goal to eliminate these diseases is real.

There are low or no-cost medications available from four of the major pharmaceutical companies, namely – GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, and Pfizer who have already donated drugs and cash support.

Treatment intervals that are community based is possible which will offer the ability to combine treatments that will be more cost effective and have a greater impact on more of the population.

The cost for community-wide treatment of these six diseases ranges from just a few cents to a few dollars per individual.

There are in existence the tools, local and national support to rid these countries of the diseases.

Even though tools and opportunity exist to address the issue of neglected tropical diseases, it remains the responsibility of individuals, corporations and countries to take action.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

African sleeping sickness is also known as Human African trypanosomiasis. However, African sleeping sickness is easier to pronounce and aptly describes the disease. The protozoan parasite that causes the disease is spread by the tsetse fly. These flies live in Africa and are found in rivers, lakes and wooded forests along the savannah.

60 million individuals, including children, are at risk for the disease in 36 sub-Saharan Africa. Every year nearly 500,000 people develop the disease.

Infection can be spread not only by the flies but through the placenta from an infected mom-to-be into the baby. It can also be spread by contaminated needles.

Another human form of the disease occurs in the Americas and is called Chagas disease.

Symptoms for African sleeping sickness include bouts of fever, headache, joint pains and itching. When the parasites cross the blood-brain barrier than the central nervous system is involved and symptoms of confusion, sensory disruption and poor coordination can be seen. If the individual is not treated the disease is fatal.

Cure rates are high if the patient receives treatment in the first phase of the disease before the central nervous system involvement.

The major symptoms of the disease do not appear until the second phase until then the disease behaves much like others. During the second phase the symptoms are confusion, poor coordination, sensory disturbances, sleep cycle disturbances and without treatment the disease is fatal.

Diagnosis:

Serological tests are performed and also clinical checks for signs of the disease such as swollen cervical glands. Tests look for evidence of the parasite. The cerebro-spinal fluid is checked by way of a lumbar puncture to determine the state of disease progression. The earlier the diagnosis is made the less risk is involved in treatment. If the central nervous system is involved treatment is complicated and risky.

Treatment:

There is a different treatment for each stage of the disease. The earlier the diagnosis is made the better the prognosis. Drugs for the second stage of the disease need to be able to cross over the blood-brain barrier and are quite toxic and expensive leaving it impossible for most in the impoverished countries to be treated without help from organizations.

WHO (World Health Organization) private partnership provides four drugs for sleeping sickness free of charge to endemic countries.

A drug melarsoprol is used in the second phase of the disease and is derived from arsenic.

Unfortunately, the disease is becoming more drug resistant as time goes on and researchers are trying to find new drugs. For now, remote areas of populations, and the need for more medical facilities and availability of drugs limit the therapeutic success. More funding is needed for research into new drugs to counteract the drug resistance now being witnessed.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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Eliminating African Tropical Diseases Through WHO

Tuesday, February 5th, 2008

Africa plays host to numerous tropical diseases including malaria, buruli ulcer, schistosomiasis, leprosy, filariasis, African trypanosomiasis, Ebola, Giardiasis, and African sleeping sickness to name a few.

It is little wonder than that the World Health Organization has so many programs in Africa that focus on prevention and control of tropical diseases. The programs focus on different diseases and may even have different objectives but the goals are the same, to end the suffering of the people of Africa.

The following information was gathered from www.afro.who.int/

Advocacy Social Mobilization’s mission is to strengthen the programs of Africa in order to plan and implement effective advocacy, social mobilization and communication strategies to support immunization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) intends to develop control and surveillance regarding Buruli Ulcer in Africa, to support control activities and case management of antibiotics, surgery and to help prevent future disabilities that occur from the disease through education, research and improved understanding of socio-economic implications that face the African people.

The Communicable Disease Surveillance and response (CSR) is a surveillance and response organization seeking to make regional, national and global awareness of Africa’s plight. The organization plans, monitors and evaluates program activities.

The Emerging, Re-emerging and Other Communicable Diseases (DDC) is a program that provides technical support to the countries of Africa, including training of health personnel, support regarding epidmiology and epidemic management, support needed for the countries of Africa regarding contingency stocks of drugs, vaccines and other supplies to prepare for the needs of epidemics.

The Regional Programme for the Elimination of Leprosy gives technical, managerial, and financial support to those African countries where leprosy is still a major threat.

An African program concerned with helping to control African Trypanosomiasis is: Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT). The objective of the programme is “solving the trypanosomiasis problem within the broader context of food, security, human health, rural development and sustainable agriculture”

All of these programs whether they are educational in nature or medical have one thing in common and that is to help eliminate tropical diseases from Africa n countries. The programs help to inform citizens about the tropical diseases that plague them, they initiate programs that help to control the diseases, or set up ways to prevent the spread of disease. Some programs are even set up to help financially or to provide needed drugs, or medical supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) is an instrumental force behind much of the programs Africa has. There are also academic institutions, drug companies and private companies who give aid to Africa some are associated with WHO and some act on their own.

WHO is a coordinating authority for health within the United Nations System. It provides leadership regarding global health matters; it sets standards, provides technical support to countries and monitors health trends.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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How To Prevent The Spread Of Tropical Diseases

Monday, February 4th, 2008

Whether traveling to the tropics for business or pleasure, you should be aware of possible dangers including tropical diseases. The following are recommendations to follow in order to avoid contracting a tropical disease.

Be sure to bring this list of recommendations to your doctor when you make your 6-week prior to leaving appointment. Your doctor can go over them and let you know which diseases are active in the area you will be traveling to.

The first step to take is to identify the tropical diseases in the area you will be traveling to. As an example – Yellow fever is a tropical disease found in tropical America south of Panama Canal and sub-Saharan Africa. Currently 11 countries in Latin America and 33 countries in Africa have active cases of yellow fever. Most of the cases of yellow fever occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Receiving available immunizations is a preventative measure that your doctor can explain to you as well as give to you.

You will need to keep your International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) in your passport to prove that you have been vaccinated. The vaccine should be administered no later than 10 days before entering an active country for that disease.

Malaria is one of the most common of the tropical diseases and can be contracted in both the rural areas as well as the cities.

Malaria is a highly curable disease if caught early on so detection, diagnosis and early treatment are important.

Here are some tips a traveler needs to follow to avoid malaria:

1. First, take the anti-malarial medication when you are in a risk-free zone

2. Avoid bites by using deet containing insect repellent

3. Wear long-sleeved clothing

4. Do not wear perfumes or colognes

5. Sleep inside in an air-conditioned room or if this is not possible sleep under a good quality mosquito net.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a policy that states that immunization against Cholera is no longer required for travelers.

Check out this Website: astmh.org during your preparations for traveling to be well informed about what you may need to do to protect yourself against tropical diseases.

Tips for traveling safely in tropical diseased areas:

1. Take antimalarial pills

2. Avoid mosquito bites

3. Use sunblock when traveling to tropical climates to avoid burns as damaged skin can be entry points for disease causing agents.

4. Avoid ice, salads and reheated foods, uncooked shellfish and street vendor food should also be avoided as well as any food that has been left out unattended.

5. If you are traveling to the Caribbean, South America, Africa or the Middle East or
 even Southeast Asia then do not swim in fresh water unless you know for sure it is free of biharzia (schistosomiasis)

6. Avoid walking around in bare feet as parasites can be contracted that way. This is actually good advice for any worldwide location not just the tropics.

7. Use condoms when having sex with foreigners and avoid anal-oral sex as this can expose you to diseases including tropical ones.

8. Use either air-conditioning when sleeping or a good quality sleeping net for protection from mosquitoes. It is also wise to spray all window screens with insect repellent.

Use these recommendations and any advice from your doctor and you should be able to prevent any tropical diseases from spoiling your trip.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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