infectious disease

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Infectious Diseases What should we fear most, nature or an attack?

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Infectious Disease

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Page 1: Infectious Disease

Infectious DiseasesWhat should we fear most, nature or an attack?

Page 2: Infectious Disease

Andrew Shores

Infectious Disease is the topic I chose because, I want to become a surgical nurse. My favorite course so far was microbiology. The thought, that something I can’t see can potentially kill me and millions more was fascinating. In a world where we fear what we see, like crime, war, terrorist; these viruses, and bacteria can wipe out more of us than any one bomb or plane can.

Page 3: Infectious Disease

Before We Began

As I said before, the topic was fascinating. Watching the TV show House, informed me on a lot of diseases and symptoms that come from the variety of bacteria and viruses. I thought they were something to fear, but also was never really worried, because what are the odds of getting something that could kill you? Medicine has improved so much, that I felt doctors are real life hero's, just like police officers and firefighters.

Page 4: Infectious Disease

The Issue

Infectious disease comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism. These can be viruses, toxins, carcinogens, fungus, pollution, bacteria, germs, and parasites. Like most major issues being discussed, this is a global problem. It is worse in poorer countries that do not have the medical advances like we do, but is still a problem even in America.

Page 5: Infectious Disease

The Issue Cont.

The battle going on is whether infectious disease is more important to defend against than bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is the intentional release of biological agents; such as viruses, bacteria, etc.

Page 6: Infectious Disease

Assumptions

I assumed that infectious disease was not a real problem in our world today. I feared a bioterrorist attack more than getting some disease that could kill me. I had heard of some diseases, and cases where the disease killed millions, but in the world I am living in today, I assumed those diseases could now be taken care of fast, if I ever did get one.

Page 7: Infectious Disease

Reasons

• Infectious Diseases is a threat to the world

• If not taken care of millions could die in a pandemic

• The flu is an all year problem

• Yearly the flu kills thousands

• We have created antibiotic resistant “superbugs”

• The last bioterrorist attack against America was back in 2001

• Poorer countries do not have surveillance systems (labs) to detect and fight infectious disease

Page 8: Infectious Disease

Evidence

• About 40 million died in the 1918 pandemic which was influenza

• “Flu kills around thirty-six thousand people every year, so deaths in the tens of thousands occur each year with certainty—that is, with a probability of one. Another group of particularly deadly disease agents, the feared hospital-borne multiple drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, kill tens of thousands every year, again a certainty”-Lynn C. Klotz

Page 9: Infectious Disease

Evidence Cont.

• Infectious diseases spread through livestock, insects, food, and humans

• In 1920 cholera was spread in Peru by crew members, and by the end of the year over 400,000 infections happened resulting in 4,000 deaths. Also in 2000, international athletes got a disease that is in rodents and transmitted through contaminated water, when they returned home 29 of the 109 athletes became ill and had to be hospitalized

Page 10: Infectious Disease

Evidence Cont.

• Disease can be deliberately caused; outbreaks occur more often in countries without surveillance systems

Page 11: Infectious Disease

Arguments

• Infectious diseases claim 16.2 percent of all deaths each year (global)

• Bioterrorism death is so low, and so unlikely, that there is no number. The best way to get an idea is to search for “the number of people that die from terrorist attacks each year”. In 2012, only 15,500 were killed in a terrorist attack.

• Biological weapons are forbidden. That is why they are rarely seen and used. Syria did use them recently, but when was the last time you heard of them before that?

Page 12: Infectious Disease

Arguments Cont.

• Different diseases kill thousands each year, and those thousands combined makes millions. America, and other advanced countries who have the resources, need to help the poorer countries establish labs to research and fight infectious diseases.

• Only then, can the world have the resources to defend against a bioterrorist attack.

Page 13: Infectious Disease

The Opposition

• The best and really only counter argument comes from terrorist attacks in general.

• Bioterrorism is a terrorist attack

• Terrorist are a threat not only to the United States which we saw in 2001, but also in places like Israel, England, and many others.

• They like infectious diseases can happen anywhere.

Page 14: Infectious Disease

The Weakness Of The Opposition

• Bioterrorism and even terrorist attacks are not even in the top ten of leading deaths across the world.

• Most deaths in the top ten are infectious diseases, so why should we fear terrorist when the real enemy is the one we can not see?

Page 15: Infectious Disease

Sources

• Lynn C. Klotz is a biotech consultant

• Edward J. Sylvester is a science journalist

• Dr. Hugh Auchincloss is the NIAID Principal Deputy Director. He oversees clinical, and applied research, as well as product development for biodefense, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases, and immune-mediated disorders

• Nick Drager is a senior adviser to the Department of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights, and the Health of the World Health Organization

• David L. Heymann is acting assistant director-general for communicable diseases at the World Health Organization and the representative of the director-general for both pandemic influenza and polio eradication

Page 16: Infectious Disease

Conclusion

• Infectious diseases is a global threat

• A pandemic will kill millions around the world if the poorer countries are not protected

• Bioterrorism should not get most of the money and resources since the odds of it happening anytime soon are slim

• America needs to think towards the future of the human race, not just itself; we can be the leaders that help stop infectious disease

Page 17: Infectious Disease

Recommendations

• The government needs to give for money to labs searching for cures and vaccines against infectious disease

• The world needs to find a way to stop “superbugs” before the pandemic happens involving them

• We need to send money and resources over seas to the countries that are more vulnerable to infectious disease