Lecture 5: Emerging infectious disease Flashcards
Tuesday 21st January 2025
Which factors are attributed to emergence of infectious disease?
Deforestation
Agricultural development
Urbanisation
Habitat fragmentation
Road construction
Air and water pollution
Road construction
Climate change (see BS127)
Hydrological changes, dam building
Population movement
Drug resistance
Better detection/diagnosis
How do we define emerging?
- Newly emerging (newly appeared in a population)
- Existing but rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range
- Re-emerging/new epidemics of old pathogens
Emergence (or re-emergence) or better detection?
- Improved diagnostic sensitivity
- Or new diagnostics entirely
- Improved education/reporting
- Modified/improved classification
- Is there a decrease in under-reporting?
- Yes probably, but there will always be under-reporting.
Can tracking the movement of populations/individuals allow for contact tracing?
Yes
Can movement introduce the index case of an infection?
Yes
Can migration replenish suceptibles?
Yes, although this is more relevant to persistance
Is it true that for more than 200,000 years of humans, they didn’t move much?
Yes
Are 25% of emerging infectious disease linked to our increased use of the land?
Yes
Talk about the Cahora Bassa Dam
- Downstream - reduced flooding; reduced free standing water; reduced breeding sites; reduced irrigation issues
- Upstream- fast flowing water was replaced by a stagnant lake, the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes
Give an example of a re-emerging virus
Measles
What is the R0 for measles?
approximately 18, one of the highest (non-VB)
How is measles transmitted?
Through droplets and air
Measles death rate…
The death rate varies (and varied) considerably dependent on healthcare access
Is this statement about the aftermath of measles true: ‘1 in 5 infected develop complications such as ear infections, Pneumonia, Encephalitis’?
Yes
What is the cheap and highly effective vaccine that is available for measles?
MMR
What haappened to meases cases beween 2016 and 2019?
There was an increase in the number of measles cases. This was because the vaccination threshold wan’t reahed and so this led to re-emergence.
World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘priority pathogens’
- An update of perceived threats of emerging infectious disease.
To prevent Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs).
Over 30 pathogens
Mostly viruses (including multiple influenzas)
What is a prototype pathogen?
- an additional list to act as model species for scientific study and the development of therapies and vaccines – to encourage research.
- To better prepare for emerging infecions
Has monkeypox recently been added to World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘priority pathogens’ list ?
Yes
What causes monkeypox?
The monkeypox virus
Did the eradication of smallpox lead to the emergence of smallpox?
Yes
Are smallpox and monkeypox very similar pathogens?
Yes
There’s a vaccine for monkeypox but no proven…
antiviral treatment
Is monkeypox proving to me an unpredictable emerging infectious disease?
Yes
Describe the May 2022 outbreak of smallpox
- In May 2022, an outbreak of clade IIb mpox appeared suddenly and rapidly spread across Europe, the Americas and then the rest of the world. Declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
- The outbreak affected primarily (but not only) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and has spread person-to-person through sexual networks
Describe the August 2024 outbreak of monkeypox
August 2024, clade Ib has also been detected beyond Africa, another PHEIC declared. Higher virulence, higher mortality.
When was the first case of monkeypox clade Ib detected in the uk?
UK case on 20 January 2025.
