Question

Part IV – Will Other Diseases Go the Way of Smallpox?

Based on the success against smallpox, other infectious diseases have been, or are currently being considered candidates for eradication. Each of the diseases below has features that might make eradication possible, but also many challenges to eradication:

Chicken Pox

Cysticercosis

Diphtheria

Guinea Worm Disease (Dracunculiasis)*          Already filled in as an example

Haemophilus influenzae type b

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hookworm Infection

Influenza

Lymphatic Filiariasis

Malaria

Measles

Mumps

Pertussis

Pneumococcal Disease

Poliomyelitis (Polio)

Rotavirus

Rubella (German Measles)

Tetanus

Yaws

Yellow Fever

Questions

7. For this question you go to an Excel file listed in the class OneDrive files and pick one of the

     diseases listed above. For your disease, research the pathogen that causes the disease and the

     eradication efforts to answer the following questions:

        a. What is the nature of the disease? (Pathogen, type of organism, mode of transmission,            signs and symptoms, etc.)

        b. What makes this disease a potential candidate for eradication?

        c. What are the challenges to eradication of this disease?

        d. What progress has been made towards eradication?

8. If you could eradicate one other infectious disease not on this list, what would it be and why?

     Why might that disease not be considered a candidate for eradication at this time?

Answer 1

Measles is caused by measles virus, a single stranded RNA virus which belongs to paramyxovirus . It causes a respiratory infection.

Mode of transmission is by respiratory droplets , coughing ,sneezing.. The patients are therefore kept in isolation wards.

Signs and symptoms

fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts 4 to 7 days.

runny nose

cough

red and watery eyes

and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage called kopliks spots

After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about 3 days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts for 5 to 6 days, and then fades. On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications like

encephalitis

severe diarrhoea and related dehydration,

ear infections,

severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia

b.

Selection of infectious disease like measles for eradication is based on rigorous criteria, as both biological and technical features determine whether a pathogenic organism is eradicable. The targeted organism like measles do not have animal reservoir ,This implies that sufficient information on the life cycle and transmission dynamics is available at the time an eradication initiative is programmed. An efficient and practical intervention such as a vaccine or antibiotic is  available to interrupt transmission of the infective agent. In case of measles ,Use of vaccination programmes in eradication campaign can reduce the susceptible population. Economic considerations, as well as societal and political support and commitment, are other crucial factors that determine eradication feasibility is enough for measles.

C.

Challenge is the highly infectious nature of measles, combined with an increasing global population, greater population density, migration, and urbanization.

d.
In 2010, the World Health Assembly set the following three milestones for measles control to be achieved by 2015:

1) increase routine coverage with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) among children aged 1 year to ≥90% at the national level and to ≥80% in every district,

2) reduce global annual measles incidence to less than five cases per 1 million population, and 3) reduce global measles mortality by 95% from the 2000 estimate.

8. Hepatitis E can be taken for eradication, because transmission is known as it occurs by infected food and water.

Treatment is also known .and vaccine has also been developed.

And it is more severe only in pregnant woman.