The era of Infectious Diseases is upon us, again. (Ebola, rings a bell?) So, here are few pointers.
In the past, infectious diseases was conquered through purification of water, proper sewage disposal, pasteurization of milk, immunization, personal hygiene and antibiotics.
But today, another potent way of controlling infectious diseases is by interrupting the chain of infection via:
- Eradicating the pathogen (organism) that causes the disease.
- Eliminating reservoir that harbors the pathogen. I.e.
Lassa fever -Rats
Ebola-Monkeys, Apes, Bats, Porcupines, Antelopes
SARS-Civet Cats
Monkey pox-Rodents
....
- preventing transmission from one host to another or from reservoir to host (quarantine).
- Increasing resistance of host by immunization.
Imagine 1 to 4 as a cycle (hence a chain).
A variety of environmental factors; population growth, increasing demand for animal protein and the likes, are closely related to the emergence of so many new pathogens.
Effective control of emerging infectious diseases, requires worldwide surveillance that focuses not only on human populations, but also on wide life and domestic animals.