Parasites and Human Health

Question 1

What are the leading causes of death in the US (CDC, 2015)?

Answer 1

a few bacteria and viruses no parasites

Question 2

What is the leading cause of death in underdeveloped countries (WHO, 2015)?

Answer 2

> 90% of deaths worldwide caused by viruses

Question 3

What do the UN sustainable development goals say about sustainable development & eradication of poverty?

Answer 3

3 Good health and well being: 3.3 by 2030 end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and NTDs and combat hepatitis water borne diseases, and other communicable diseases

Question 4

What are the big three? What is important about them?

Answer 4

HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, they get a lot of $$$

Question 5

What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?

Answer 5

antiretroviral medicaitons

Question 6

What is the treatment for tuberculosis?

Answer 6

antibiotics and vaccine development

Question 7

What is the treatment for malaria?

Answer 7

drugs for treatment, bed nets for prevention, the only parasite in the big three

Question 8

What are the 4 categories of NTDs pathogens? What is significant about them?

Answer 8

1. Helminths (worms) 2. Protozoa 3. Bacteria 4. Viruses: they don’t get much $$$

Question 9

What worms fall under NTDs helminths?

Answer 9

1. foodborne trematodiases (56 million at risk): Clonorchiasis, Fascioliasis, Opisthorchiasis, Paragonimiasis 2. schistosomiasis (700 million at risk) 3. cysticercosis/ taeniasis 4. echinococcosis 5. soil-transmitted helminths (STH): Ascariasis (4.2 billion at risk), Hookworm infections (3.2 billion at risk), Trichiuriasis (3.2 billion at risk) 6. lymphatic filariasis (1.3 billion) 7. onchonerciasis (river blindness 90 million) 8. Dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease)

Question 10

What falls under NTDs protozoa?

Answer 10

a. Human African trypanosomiasis (Sleeping sickness) – 60 million at risk b. Chagas disease – 25 million at risk c. Leishmaniases – 350 million at risk

Question 11

What 4 bacterial diseases are NTDs?

Answer 11

1. buruli ulcer 2. leprosy 3. trachoma 4. yaws

Question 12

What is buruli ulcer?

Answer 12

mycobacterium ulcerans: produces mycolactone, a toxin that results in lesions & tissue death and can lead to long term disability and death

Question 13

What is leprosy (Hansen disease)?

Answer 13

mycobacterium leprae: affects skin, peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of upper respiratory tract and eyes, is not easily transmissible, is curable

Question 14

What is trachoma?

Answer 14

chlamydia trachomatis: leading cause of world’s infectious blindness, transmitted by flies and contact with fomites

Question 15

What is a fomite?

Answer 15

surface/object that plays a role in disease transmission

Question 16

What is yaws?

Answer 16

treponema pallidum pertenue: related to syphilis, transmitted by skin contact, affects skin, bone, and cartilage

Question 17

What 2 viral diseases are NTDs?

Answer 17

1. dengue/ severe dengue 2. rabies

Question 18

What are the symptoms of dengue/severe dengue?

Answer 18

fever, headache, muscle & joint pain, skin rash, hemorrhagic fever leads to bleeding leads to death

Question 19

How many deaths does rabies cause?

Answer 19

60,000 deaths

Question 20

What are the features of NTDs?

Answer 20

1. rural poverty 2. ancient diseases 3. chronic 4. disability & disfigurement

Question 21

Who is at risk for NTDs?

Answer 21

1. poor in underdeveloped countries 2. “bottom billion” - make

Question 22

Why are NTDs still neglected?

Answer 22

high disease burden but low mortality, need a measure other than death to motivate policy makers

Question 23

How many deaths per year does HIV/AIDS & malaria cause?

Answer 23

approx. 2-6 million deaths/yr

Question 24

How many deaths per year do NTDs cause?

Answer 24

approx. 530,000 deaths/yr

Question 25

What are disability-adjusted life years (DALY)?

Answer 25

uses time to measure effects of chronic illness, # of healthy years lost from disability of premature death, utilizes Japanese life expectancy statistics as a standard for measuring premature death

Question 26

What is the equation to calculate a DALY?

Answer 26

DALY = YLL + YLD

Question 27

What are 2 control strategies

Answer 27

1. broad drug treatment 2. aid organizations

Question 28

What is polyparasitism?

Answer 28

large proportion of popultion infected with more than 1 parasite: drug treatments target broad range of infections

Question 29

What is an example of broad drug treatments?

Answer 29

Rapid Impact Packages are a blister pack of combination of 4 drugs donated/subsidized by pharmaceuticals & NGOs used in Asia, Africa, and South America. 7 diseases targeted at

Question 30

How do aid organization control diseases?

Answer 30

1. map diseases 2. advocacy 3. training 4. social mobilization 5. drug distribution - safe & appropriate, dose poles 6. monitor and evaluate 7. education - help people change behaviors to promote health

Question 31

What is one example of an aid organization?

Answer 31

Helen Keller International provides safe water for drinking and washing and latrines ( a communal toilet that eliminates flies and odors)

Question 32

How does poverty affect parasitic disease in the US?

Answer 32

1. high disease and mortality rates: chronic disease (heart disease, cancer) 2. neglected infection of poverty: parasitic, bacterial, and viral all disproportionately affect impoverished & minority groups

Question 33

What has the US Congress done to combat poverty and disease?

Answer 33

Passed Neglected infections of impoverished Americas Acts (2015). Created department of health and human services to monitor, evaluate, and report to Congress

Question 34

How can we treat and eliminate parasitic disease?

Answer 34

understand parasites: parasitology

Question 35

What falls under the study of parasitology?

Answer 35

ecology, physiology, biochemistry, immunology, nutrition, & more

Question 36

What is the goal of this course?

Answer 36

understand important aspects of major human parasitic diseases