4 - Emerging Infectious Diseases Flashcards
Two types of emerging infectious disease
- Previously unknown disease suddenly appears in a population
- Known disease suddenly appears in a new population (diff age group, part of world)
What is a re-emerging infectious disease
Known disease, previously on a constant or declining level, that is becoming more common and will likely continue to do so
What is the amphibian pandemic? (cause, spread, effects)
Caused by fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Causes difficulty breathing, survives in water.
Spread worldwide by amphibian trade
90 species extinction, 501 species decline (largest pandemic ever?)
Why is there a banana pandemic
99% of bananas in supermarkets are one variety (clone): Cavendish bananas
Became popular because of resistance to Panama disease, but not panama dz has changed (cavendish no longer resistant)
Three characteristics of emerging, re-emerging diseases
- increased quantity of disease (incidence/prevalence of new, endemic or foreign diseases)
- change in characteristics of a disease
- something new (diagnostic dilemma): previously unrecognized disease
How would the characteristics of a disease change
Change in the way a pathogen affects the host
Increased severity (morbidity and mortality)
Change in disease presentation
Reduced productivity, repro performance
What do all emerging infectious disease epidemics have in common?
They all start small
Pathogen existence requires… Why?
Transmission
Can’t exist for long periods within a single host. If it kills the host, the pathogen also dies. Or the hosts immune system attacks and destroys the pathogen
Route of pathogen from one reservoir to the next
Reservoir (pathogen infected host) -> escape (route of exit) -> transmission (movement to a new host) -> entry (route of entry) -> reservoir (pathogen infected host)
An integral part of transmission is often…
disease production
What are some strategies for sustainable existence of a pathogen?
- surviving in the environment (e.g. anthrax)
- co-evolution with the host
What is a spillover event?
Required for emergence
Pathogen “spills over” from the reservoir host to a new host (transmission from one host in reservoir pop to one host in new pop)
Example of spillover event in Bangladesh
Nipa virus (paramyxovirus)
Reservoir: fruit bats
Date sap is sweet, collected over night and fermented and sold as a drink
At night fruit bats drink sap, urinate, defecate in sap
Led to neurological disease in people with high mortality (50%) and no treatment
How often to spillover events occur?
Difficult to know: we only see successful emergences
How many pathogens only have one known host?
37%
But, do we just not know the other hosts they infect?
What is required once a pathogen is transmitted to a new host?
It must be transmitted among the new hosts, and disease must be produced in the new host population
What is a hit and run pathogen? e.g.
Pathogen already very well adapted to the new host at the time of spillover
e.g. PEDV present in Asia and EU since 1970s, spilled over into NA and caused disaster