Only in recent years has it been revealed that V. cholerae is a normal inhabitant of esturine and riverine waters. This means that even if the disease can be eliminated from human population by vaccines etc. the vibrio will continue to survive independently in the environment. It is likely that the environment is the source of epidemic strains. This is the first book to focus on the implication of these discoveries.
Research on cholera has contributed both to knowledge of the epidemic in particular, and to a broader understanding of the fundamental ways in which cells communicate with each other. This volume presents current knowledge in historical perspective to enable the practitioner to treat cholera in a more effective manner, and to provide a comprehensive review for the researcher.
Presents the latest molecular studies of virulence, colonization, gene regulation, and the O1 antigen. Gives an in-depth and analytical approach to the epidemiology of cholera that includes outbreak investigations, case-control studies, and surveillance functions. Describes the molecular approach to epidemiologic problems and questions. Tracks the global spread of cholera by genetically defining individual strains. Addresses possible intervention and prevention strategies, including the latest vaccines, and their public health relevance.
The second edition of Microbiology of Waterborne Diseases describes the diseases associated with water, their causative agents and the ways in which they gain access to water systems. The book is divided into sections covering bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Other sections detail methods for detecting and identifying waterborne microorganisms, and the ways in which they are removed from water, including chlorine, ozone, and ultraviolet disinfection. The second edition of this handbook has been updated with information on biofilms and antimicrobial resistance. The impact of global warming and climate change phenomena on waterborne illnesses are also discussed. This book serves as an indispensable reference for public health microbiologists, water utility scientists, research water pollution microbiologists environmental health officers, consultants in communicable disease control and microbial water pollution students. Focuses on the microorganisms of most significance to public health, including E. coli, cryptosporidium, and enterovirus Highlights the basic microbiology, clinical features, survival in the environment, and gives a risk assessment for each pathogen Contains new material on antimicrobial resistance and biofilms Covers drinking water and both marine and freshwater recreational bathing waters
Vibrios are Gram-negative bacilli that occur naturally in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Some species include human and animal pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis, wound infections, cholera, and fatal septicemia. Over the past decades, cutting edge research on Vibrio genomics has promoted a tremendous advance in our knowledge of these pathogens. Significant developments include the discovery of emerging epidemic clones, tracking the spread of new strain variants, and an intensified appreciation of the role of mobile genetic elements in antibiotic resistance spread as well as pathogenesis. Furthermore, improved understanding of the interaction of Vibrios with a variety of living organisms in the aquatic environment has documented the significant role of environmental reservoirs in their seasonal cycle favoring persistence of the pathogen during inter-epidemic periods and enhancing disease transmission. This Research Topic is dedicated to our current understanding in these areas and will bring together leading experts in the field to provide a deep overview of Vibrios ecology and evolution, and will suggest the pathway of future research in this field.
In October 2010, nine months after the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, a second disaster began to unfold—soon to become the world's largest cholera epidemic in modern times. In a country that had never before reported cholera, the epidemic mysteriously and simultaneously appeared in river communities of central Haiti, eventually triggering nearly 800,000 cases and 9,000 deaths. What had caused the first cases of cholera in Haiti in recorded history? Who or what was the deadly agent of origin? Why did it explode in the agricultural-rich delta of the Artibonite River? When answers were few, rumors spread, causing social and political consequences of their own. Wanting insight, the Haitian government and French embassy requested epidemiological assistance from France. A few weeks into the epidemic, physician and infectious disease specialist Renaud Piarroux arrived in Haiti.In Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs tells the story of the epidemic—of a French disease detective determined to trace its origins so that he could help contain the spread and possibly eliminate the disease—and the political intrigue that has made that effort so difficult. The story involves political maneuvering by powerful organizations such as the United Nations and its peacekeeping troops in Haiti, as well as by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Frerichs explores a quest for scientific truth and dissects a scientific disagreement involving world-renowned cholera experts who find themselves embroiled in intellectual and political turmoil in a poverty-stricken country.Frerichs's narrative highlights how the world’s wealthy nations, nongovernmental agencies, and international institutions respond when their interests clash with the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people. The story poses big social questions and offers insights not only on how to eliminate cholera in Haiti but also how nations, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and CDC deal with catastrophic infectious disease epidemics.
This book combines evidence from natural and social sciences to examine the impact on Africa of seven cholera pandemics since 1817, particularly the current impact of cholera on such major countries as Senegal, Angola, Mozambique, Congo, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Myron Echenberg highlights the irony that this once-terrible scourge, having receded from most of the globe, now kills thousands of Africans annually - Africa now accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's cases and deaths - and leaves many more with severe developmental impairment. Responsibility for the suffering caused is shared by Western lending and health institutions and by often venal and incompetent African leadership. If the threat of this old scourge is addressed with more urgency, great progress in the public health of Africans can be achieved.
Since the dawn of medical science, people have recognized connections between a change in the weather and the appearance of epidemic disease. With today's technology, some hope that it will be possible to build models for predicting the emergence and spread of many infectious diseases based on climate and weather forecasts. However, separating the effects of climate from other effects presents a tremendous scientific challenge. Can we use climate and weather forecasts to predict infectious disease outbreaks? Can the field of public health advance from "surveillance and response" to "prediction and prevention?" And perhaps the most important question of all: Can we predict how global warming will affect the emergence and transmission of infectious disease agents around the world? Under the Weather evaluates our current understanding of the linkages among climate, ecosystems, and infectious disease; it then goes a step further and outlines the research needed to improve our understanding of these linkages. The book also examines the potential for using climate forecasts and ecological observations to help predict infectious disease outbreaks, identifies the necessary components for an epidemic early warning system, and reviews lessons learned from the use of climate forecasts in other realms of human activity.
New emerging diseases, new diagnostic modalities for resource-poor settings, new vaccine schedules ... all significant, recent developments in the fast-changing field of tropical medicine. Hunter's Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10th Edition, keeps you up to date with everything from infectious diseases and environmental issues through poisoning and toxicology, animal injuries, and nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies that result from traveling to tropical or subtropical regions. This comprehensive resource provides authoritative clinical guidance, useful statistics, and chapters covering organs, skills, and services, as well as traditional pathogen-based content. You'll get a full understanding of how to recognize and treat these unique health issues, no matter how widespread or difficult to control. - Includes important updates on malaria, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis and HIV, as well as coverage of Ebola, Zika virus, Chikungunya, and other emerging pathogens. - Provides new vaccine schedules and information on implementation. - Features five all-new chapters: Neglected Tropical Diseases: Public Health Control Programs and Mass Drug Administration; Health System and Health Care Delivery; Zika; Medical Entomology; and Vector Control – as well as 250 new images throughout. - Presents the common characteristics and methods of transmission for each tropical disease, as well as the applicable diagnosis, treatment, control, and disease prevention techniques. - Contains skills-based chapters such as dentistry, neonatal pediatrics and ICMI, and surgery in the tropics, and service-based chapters such as transfusion in resource-poor settings, microbiology, and imaging. - Discusses maladies such as delusional parasitosis that are often seen in returning travelers, including those making international adoptions, transplant patients, medical tourists, and more. - Enhanced eBook version included with purchase, which allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.
