Question

West Nile Virus

You are the director of communicable diseases in a city health department, responsible for a large urban community. It is early spring in 2003. For the past two years, your department has been working to control the spread of the West Nile Virus and you are pleased with the progress so far. This morning you read about a suspected outbreak of a new disease called SARS which is suspected to have killed dozens of people in Hong Kong. While West Nile Virus is carried by birds, especially crows, SARS is transmitted among people.

When you get to the office and check your email you learn that the World Health Organization has placed a number of East Asian cities off limits for all but essential travel. You also learn that Canada has reported deaths they believe are due to SARS. You are now confronted with addressing a new and virulent contagious disease.

Based on your understanding of the SARS case study, answer the following questions:

In your opinion, what could be the possible reasons of a sudden outbreak of new disease?
What are the ways of addressing a new and virulent contagious disease?
Discuss in detail about the countries, which have faced epidemics in the past. What would have been the possible reasons for such outbreaks?

Answer 1

SARS is a coronavirus. It is a common form of virus that typically causes upper-respiratory tract illnesses.

Reason for sudden outbreak:

Like all living things, viruses are constantly changing and evolving. A mutation is where genetic information stored inside an organism changes. The sudden outbreak has occurred because it is caused by viruses previously only found in animals. After mutating, the viruses became capable of infecting humans.

A person with the virus can spread the infection by leaving respiratory droplets on objects, such as door handles, doorbells, and telephones. These are then picked up by someone else. The virus is likely to remain active in the environment for several days. The SARS virus may live on hands, tissues, and other surfaces for up to 6 hours in these droplets and up to 3 hours after the droplets have dried.

Ways of addressing a new and virulent contagious disease:

• Know when to act
• Acquire information quickly
• Establish Response Policies
• Communicate Policies
• Exercise the Plans as follows

1. Stockpiling of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs,
2. Advanced development of pandemic strain vaccines,
3. The establishment of surge capacity for rapid vaccine production, and
4. The development of models to determine the most effective means of delivering therapies during an outbreak.

Countries which have faced epidemics in the past:

Polio: United States in 1916, peaked in 1952

Smallpox: Colonized Americas in1600's

Bubonic Plague: Europe and Asia in 1314-1351 AD

Plague of Justinian: Byzantine Era Constantinople in 540 AD

Yellow Fever: Philadelphia, PA in 1793

Typhus: Europe in 1600's,

Cholera: Asia, Middle East, Europe, America in 1817 - Present Day

Spanish Flu: Global in 1918

SARS: Asia, North and South America, Europe in 2003

Ebola: Africa in 2014

The possible reasons for outbreaks in the past in many countries are:

• More travel, trade, and connectivity
• Urbanization
• Pervasive poverty making outbreaks worse
• A warming climate is helping fuel more disease outbreaks