The Black Death - a repeat of the medieval plague in the last century
Bubonic plague, commonly known as the "Black Death", is a disease that is spread by rats and fleas. An infectious disease that spreads extremely
fast. In the Middle Ages, the Black Death ravaged Europe, coupled with war and famine, killing about half of Europe's population.
In terms of death toll, chaos and terror, this disaster exceeded the two world wars of the 20th century.
The Black Death was a terrible disease. An eyewitness wrote: “The symptoms of this disease are severe fever and chills, and the sufferers
feel a splitting headache. , lying on the bed dying, unable to move. Severe pain spread to the back and limbs. Red swellings appeared in the armpits and groin, and there were a lot of painful bleeding points under the skin. , and finally formed black blood stasis. The patient was in a daze, moaning constantly, rolling around restlessly, and repeatedly grabbing the sheets. Only when you fall into shock will you get some relief, and only death will finally stop it all."
The Black Death broke out in San Francisco at the beginning of the last century. When mentioning the "Black Death", many people would think that it only happened in San Francisco.
The history of the European Middle Ages, but little is known about the "Black Death" that broke out in San Francisco at the beginning of the last century: 1900~1905 and 1907~
In 1908, San Francisco 280 people were infected with the plague, and 172 died.
The first person to die was a Chinese in Chinatown. In March 1900, the first person in San Francisco to die from the Black Death died. His name is Huang
Chu Jing, 41 years old, is a timber merchant living in Chinatown. Without waiting for a firm diagnosis, the city health department cordoned off buildings in Chinatown overnight and cordoned off the community. The Ministry of Health placed the responsibility on all local
Chinese residents, while commercial businesses run by whites in Chinatown were not segregated.
As more people became infected with this serious infectious disease, the U.S. government stopped targeting Chinatown and sent Commissioner Lubert Blue
Lubert took office Afterwards, strong public health measures were adopted, focusing on eradicating rats and eradicating the environment that facilitated the proliferation of rats.
He replaced wooden buildings with concrete buildings and launched a campaign to encourage people to catch mice, offering a reward of 10 cents for each one caught. Blue's efforts eventually led to the establishment of a broad "Anti-Rat League", which prevented the Black Death from continuing to spread.
Second Spanish Flu - killed 50 million people and the king was also infected
In the First World War, mankind fell into cannibalism and hundreds of thousands of people died, which became the history of mankind. A catastrophe
. However, just when this catastrophe was about to end, an influenza outbreak claimed the lives of nearly 50 million people. This was the Spanish Flu, or the Spanish Flu, which people had heard of in the last century. 1918 influenza. On October 5 this year, scientists discovered that the Spanish flu was actually a mutation of avian flu.
The American Expeditionary Force brought the germs to Europe. During World War I, the world was in great turmoil and reorganization. The war was in chaos
and the people were in dire straits. It was against this background that the Spanish Flu occurred. . At that time, Spain first announced the influenza epidemic, so it was called the Spanish Flu. Because this influenza caused a worldwide pandemic and occurred in 1918, it was also called Japanese encephalitis - there are still sequelae five years after the onset.
"Japanese encephalitis" " is an acute infectious disease of the central nervous system transmitted by mosquitoes. It broke out in Japan in 1924, hence the name.
Children under 14 years old, especially boys, are susceptible to the Japanese encephalitis virus. Japanese encephalitis is very prevalent in Asia and South America. Recently, cases of Japanese encephalitis have also appeared in Saipan in the United States and mainland Australia.
Japanese encephalitis is caused by a natural virus. People, animals and most poultry can be infected with Japanese encephalitis, among which pigs are the most susceptible
to be infected. The main vector of Japanese encephalitis is the mosquito (Culex mosquito), and most people are susceptible to the disease. Japanese encephalitis is most widely spread among children under 10 years old, especially children between 2 and 6 years old. The infection rate is higher in men than in women.
The incubation period of Japanese encephalitis is 5-15 days. The main symptoms are fever, cramps and deep coma. So far, the treatment of Japanese encephalitis
has not made any major breakthroughs. It still relies on supportive therapy, providing support for life symptoms, and drugs that lower cerebral blood pressure
.
More than half of the surviving children still have brain wave abnormalities one year after the onset of the disease. Three-quarters of survivors still have behavioral or mental abnormalities five years after onset. Although it is known that the mortality rate and sequelae of Japanese encephalitis are quite severe
, there is currently no effective treatment, so prevention is an important means, such as vaccination and going out
< p>Wear long-sleeved clothes and spray mosquito repellent when traveling (especially outdoors).More than 1,000 people died in South Asia in September this year. There was also a large-scale "Japanese encephalitis" outbreak in South Asia in September this year,
More than 1,000 people died. The epidemic areas are mainly in Nepal and India, and most of the dead are children.
Since the first case of Japanese encephalitis was discovered in Uttar Pradesh, India this year, more than 2,000 people there have been infected, mainly children
. Relevant experts say that about 30% of patients will be permanently disabled. Nepal's Ministry of Health stated that the epidemic will slow down with the end of the rainy season.
Cholera - one of the most terrible plagues in mankind
The fatal intestinal infectious disease can be spread through water, food, daily contact, flies, etc. The fatality rate can exceed 50%
Cholera, described as "one of the most terrible plagues that have ever destroyed the earth", is a severe intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae
The disease has an acute onset and spreads quickly, and is subject to international quarantine infectious disease. In the more than 100 years since 1817, cholera epidemics have occurred eight times worldwide. Among them, the one in 1961 reported more than 3.5 million patients. Now 100,000 people die from the disease every year.
The first epidemic of cholera occurred in England in 1831. No one thought that a cholera wave was coming that would last for decades. In the first wave of cholera attacks, at least 140,000 people died in the UK, and some small villages were almost wiped out.
Of course, for humans in the early 19th century, the occurrence, spread and control of this terrible plague were a mystery. Every day, in
British cities and villages, hearses continue to transport the dead to cemeteries. There are no human activities in factories and shops. People go
everywhere to look for medicine and make final arrangements. A feeble struggle. When patients go from intestinal spasm to diarrhea, to vomiting, fever, and face death a few days or even hours later, what people can feel is fear, in addition to fear.
The scientist who discovered the germ won the Nobel Prize
Over the past 100 years, cholera has recorded eight worldwide pandemics. When the fifth wave of cholera arrived in Egypt, at the invitation of the Egyptian government, German bacteriologist Kohler conducted research there and discovered the causative bacterium of cholera - "Comma". /p>
Vibrio cholerae, he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1905.
Since 1961, cholera has broken out into the seventh worldwide pandemic. Cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae of the Elto biotype began to spread from Sulawesi Island in Indonesia to adjacent countries and regions, and has so far affected more than 140 countries and regions on five continents
District, reporting more than 3.5 million patients. By October 1992, a new type of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O139, a non-O1 serotype, swept through certain areas of India and Bangladesh. By April 1993, 100,000 cases had been reported. The remaining patients have now spread to many countries and regions, and there is the possibility of replacing the Elto biotype. Some people call it the 8th global pandemic of cholera.
Cholera makes people aware of the importance of developing good food and hygiene habits. "You won't get sick if you don't eat cleanly" was replaced by "Wash your hands before eating and after using the toilet". Poor drinking and eating habits will directly eat germs into the body. For example, because cholera bacteria can still survive in alcohol, drunken shrimps and crabs eaten raw often become sources of infection; also pay attention to Do not drink raw water, it is best to boil bottled water before drinking. Maintain a good hygienic environment and do not give germs and viruses room to survive; do not pay attention to eating in an environment with poor hygienic conditions
use public chopsticks when dining to block cross-infection; wash hands frequently, etc. .
The cholera bacterium causes vomiting and diarrhea in hundreds of thousands of people every year. The cholera bacterium is very common in countries with poor health conditions, and the vaccine
is only partially effective, and due to It is banned in some countries due to its side effects. At present, cholera has not disappeared with the improvement of sanitation and other living environment. This intestinal epidemic has appeared in Japan in the past few years. The genes of cholera bacteria are simple. When encountering external stimuli (such as drugs, etc.), the genetic mutations are very random, causing the bacteria to become drug-resistant.
The current phenomenon is that many people take medicine indiscriminately when they are sick, and the abuse of antibiotics is very serious. In the past, dozens of units of penicillin could cure diseases. Now It takes 1 million units to be effective, which also brings about another problem: the side effects of excessive drug use also affect people's immunity.
Legionaire's disease - "Legionella" causes trouble in warm water
Respiratory tract infections peak in summer and autumn and are highly transmissible through the air, with a fatality rate of 10%
Legionnaire's disease is not an occupational disease in the military, but a respiratory infection, and its germs are present in water vapor. Legionnaires' disease, also known as lobar pneumonia, is a type of bacterial pneumonia with symptoms basically the same as pneumonia. In 1976, when the American Legion Conference was held in Philadelphia, "Legionnaires' disease" first occurred, hence the name.
More than 50 massacres have occurred around the world
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 1976, a group of veterans gathered at the "Stratford View" Hotel in Philadelphia. Two days later
More than 180 of the participants developed symptoms such as high fever, headache, vomiting, coughing, and general fatigue. In 90% of cases, chest X-rays showed signs of pneumonia. . Thirty-six residents near the hotel where the conference headquarters is located also developed the same symptoms. ***
34 patients died as a result. After the outbreak, medical experts isolated the pathogenic bacteria from the lung tissue of the deceased, which was called "Legionella". This disease was also named "Legionnaire's disease". Since then, Legionnaires' disease has occurred more than 50 times around the world. In recent years, it has been endemic in Europe, the United States, Australia and other countries and regions.
Be careful when blowing air conditioners for a long time
It is estimated that 8,000 to 18,000 people in the United States are infected with Legionnaires' disease every year. Some people infected with Legionnaires' disease show mild symptoms or even no signs of illness at all.
Generally speaking, when the water temperature is between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius and the water is rich in organic matter, this type of bacteria can survive for a long time.
When the water temperature rises to 60 degrees Celsius, Above, it is difficult for Legionella to survive. Legionnaires' disease in cities is mainly caused by Legionella bacteria that grow in humid environments such as air humidifiers, water storage systems, and air conditioning systems.
Legionella bacteria are airborne. Water tanks in air-conditioning systems are an ideal breeding ground for Legionella bacteria, which can spread through ducts throughout a building. Therefore, people who have been in air-conditioned rooms for a long time should be particularly careful. When Legionnaires' disease was first discovered in the world, it was spread by air-conditioning cooling water
Legionella bacteria are currently known to be parasitic in natural fresh water and artificial pipe water, and can also survive in soil. Research shows that the incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease ranges from 5 to 10 days. The main symptoms are fever, accompanied by chills, myalgia, headache, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing and diarrhea. The case fatality rate reaches 10%, and severe cases will die. It is generally not transmitted through human contact and is difficult to distinguish from ordinary pneumonia
Legionnaires' disease can be treated with antibiotics such as erythromycin. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect.
Six mad cow diseases - the culprit is sheep, not cattle
Mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (medically referred to as BSE), which was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1986. So far, Western Europe
p>There have been more than 180,000 cases (mainly in the UK).
In October 1986, a cow suddenly fell ill in the town of Alford in southeastern England. At first, the cow's hooves became weak and she foamed at the mouth. Later, her whole body trembled and her muscles twitched and she died. Experienced veterinarians said that the cow was suffering from "mad cow disease", and later a cat also suffered from the same disease. People quickly thought that mad cow disease could be transmitted to humans. Sure enough, 10 years later, in 1996, a young man named Stephen in the UK died tragically of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease caused by mad cow disease. A mad cow disease crisis broke out that shook the world.
No symptoms after infection
Not only in Europe, mad cow disease has been found around the world, and has occurred in more than 20 countries including Oman, Canada, and the United States
Mad cow disease, with an average of one case per 1 million people per year. This disease generally has an incubation period of several decades, and patients are often 50-60 years old when they finally develop the disease. The body does not have fever or inflammation after infection, but once it develops, the disease progresses very quickly.
The patient may develop central nervous system symptoms such as mental disorder, fear of light, sound, and touch, and muscle twitching and hardening. and
convulsions occurred, with a mortality rate of 100%. People suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome are in a very terrifying state when they are about to die. They are often panic-stricken, talking nonsense, having various confusing and terrifying pictures in their minds, and even losing their body balance. This is because this protein that has entered human brain cells mutates and expands like saw teeth when it develops, opening countless terrible holes in the human brain. , causing people extraordinary pain, terror and insanity. What's more serious is that existing medical technology cannot diagnose the disease while the patient is alive. The cause of death can only be found by observing the brain tissue slices under a microscope after the patient's death.
The reason for the outbreak of mad cow disease is that some feed processing plants in the UK and many European and American countries process the offal and bones of sheep and other animals into animal feed. It is estimated that some cattle feed sources On the internal organs of sheep suffering from scrapie. There are more scrapie cases in the UK.
Scrape is a naturally infectious neurodegenerative disease that occurs in sheep and goats. It has a long incubation period and is not easy to detect at first.
The disease in animals begins with itching movements of frequent scraping of fences, hence the name scrapie. Sick sheep gradually develop tremors and movement disorders, and usually die within 6 weeks to 6 months of onset. Cattle that eat feed containing scrapie factors will develop mad cow disease over a period of time. The causative agent of scrapie has been transmitted to a variety of experimental animals in the laboratory, such as mice and hamsters.
Therefore, scientists believe that mad cow disease is likely to be acquired by eating feed containing sheep scrapie.
Sheep scrapie has a history of 260 years in Europe, and feed processing plants also have a long history in Europe. Why was there no madness in cattle before?
The reason may be related to feed Related to the production procedures of the processing plant. Around 1981, due to economic reasons, the British animal feed processing industry changed its processing methods and eliminated two key steps that can destroy disease-causing factors: First, the use of Organic solvents; second, the long-term high-temperature steam sterilization is cancelled, resulting in a sufficient amount of pathogenic factors present in animal feeds. After animals eat these feeds, they will become sick after a few years of incubation period. The British government has taken a series of measures to control the spread of mad cow disease, including stopping the feeding of feed that may contain pathogenic factors in July 1988 and slaughtering the sick mad cows. ox.
However, the causative agent of mad cow disease is prions, which have different biological characteristics from ordinary pathogenic microorganisms. They can not only be transmitted through blood, edible meat, semen, hospital scalpels, etc., but also have very strong vitality. , high temperature, freezing
, disinfection, etc. are almost useless to it. Therefore, incineration of contaminated meat and bones into ashes is the best way to kill it.
Speaking of which, mad cow disease is also a disease of wealth. The degree of industrialization of animal husbandry in our country is still very low. Our cattle cannot eat feed containing animal bone meal additives, so mad cow disease has not yet been discovered.
Mad cow disease also has the possibility of cross-species transmission. While other animals have no symptoms after being infected with mad cow disease, humans may
be infected with mad cow disease through the food chain. Animals other than cattle, such as sheep, pigs and other poultry, will not show any symptoms after being infected with mad cow disease. This "subclinical" symptom has been confirmed in experimental mice. Since there are no symptoms, poultry, sheep, pigs and other animals infected with mad cow disease may still be slaughtered and eaten as healthy animals, thereby infecting people. Professor John Collinch of the British Medical Research Council said: "This study points out that cattle or other animals may be infected with mad cow disease without any symptoms. Regardless of whether these animals No matter how long they live, they all have pathogenic factors lurking in their bodies, which may infect humans through the food chain
and can be transmitted vertically from mother to child
Collinge's research team revealed in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" that people who are directly infected may not show any symptoms.
The actual number of infected humans and animals is much higher than estimated, and when he infects other people, the infected people will die.
Lynch said that if infected, there are no symptoms. If humans undergo surgery or blood transfusions, the disease may spread.
Seven malaria-kills a child every 30 seconds
It manifests as periodic chills, fever, and diarrhea. Khan kills more than 1 million people every year. Malaria is one of the most common and serious tropical diseases in the world. There are about 300 million cases around the world every year, most of which occur in the world's poorest countries. Resulting in more than 1 million deaths, malaria kills a child every 30 seconds in Africa, killing more children than any other disease. . Children who survive malaria often suffer brain damage or paralysis, which brings a heavy financial burden to their families.
In Abu, the capital of Nigeria, on April 25, 2000. The African Summit held in Abuja reached the "Abuja Declaration on Curbing Malaria in Africa", which reaffirmed the joint efforts of African countries to combat the malaria epidemic. The United Nations designated this day as "Africa". >
Malaria Day”.
More than 41% of the world’s population is at risk of contracting malaria, and due to deteriorating health systems, growing supplies of
drugs and disinfectants Due to insecticide resistance, climate change and war, this proportion continues to increase every year.
Typical malaria patients can generally be clearly divided into three stages: the first chill period: intolerance to the cold. , although covered with thick quilt, still cold
Whispering and pale, this period lasts for about 10 minutes to 1 hour. Second fever period: high fever (up to 39-41℃).
, flushed complexion, accompanied by headache, thirst, and difficulty breathing. The third sweating stage: sudden profuse sweating after high fever, and the body temperature immediately drops to normal
. In addition to anemia and hepatosplenomegaly, malaria can also cause cerebral malaria, pulmonary malaria, gastrointestinal malaria, etc., which can endanger people's lives.
There are as many as 105 countries and regions where malaria is endemic, and 90% of deaths due to malaria occur in areas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa.
Malaria exacerbates poverty by significantly reducing productivity and social stability. Rural and poor populations are most vulnerable to malaria because they lack effective treatment. In rural areas, infection rates are highest during the rainy season - the busiest time for farming. Studies show that families infected with malaria harvest 60% less crops than other families. According to statistics, even with careful calculation, malaria causes an annual loss of US$12 billion to the GDP of the entire Africa.
According to a report by the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, up to $2 billion per year is needed to achieve the goal of halving malaria deaths by 2010
However, for poor and backward African countries, spending US$2 billion every year to combat malaria is beyond their capabilities. At present, only $600 million is available for spending.
Pregnant women and children are the most affected.
Pregnant women and fetuses are also the main victims of malaria. In malaria-endemic areas of Africa, approximately 30 million women become pregnant every year.
For these women, malaria poses a serious threat to their own health and the health of their fetuses. Malaria can
cause underweight, anemia and even death in newborns. 200,000 new births die every year in Africa due to mothers contracting malaria during pregnancy. Malaria is the most common disease and the largest economic burden in Kenya. According to statistics from the Kenyan Health Department, 40% of patients treated in hospitals are malaria patients. Malaria is also the leading cause of premature death among children in Kenya. On average, 90 children under the age of 5 die from this disease every day. The United Nations recently warned that malaria has become a "national tragedy" in Kenya. Rapid and effective treatment of malaria should be incorporated into routine child and maternal health care, which could reduce mortality by 50%.
Many observers have warned that drug-resistant malaria parasites are increasingly common. Quinine is currently the cheapest and most effective anti-malarial drug, but more and more Plasmodium parasites that are resistant to quinine are appearing in most African countries. p>America, making this drug increasingly useless. However, treatment by mixing different drugs together can suppress this resistance.
Experts point out that there is still a lack of vaccine against malaria. The vaccine could provide protection for 10 years with one injection,
and would have a longer-lasting impact than the plan to defeat malaria. Melinda Moore, the founder of the National Basic Vaccines in the United States, agreed: "Many children are on the verge of death, so the issue of vaccines needs immediate attention." Just
p>
In the long run, only the development of vaccines can stop the pain of malaria in Africa. Moore said: "We need new tools, and history tells us that vaccines are the best tool and can keep malaria under control.