Infectious Diseases.

Infectious diseases


An infectious disease is defined, by some articles, like a clinically evident illness resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents; these pathogens are able to cause disease in animals and/or plants. Infectious pathologies are also called communicable diseases or transmissible diseases due to their potential of transmission from one person or species to another by a replicating agent. They have being for centuries ranked along with wars and famine as major challenges to human progress and survival; remaining among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and the problem increases every day.

Some statistics on this issue indicate that infectious diseases during 1981 to 1995 increased the mortality rate to a peak of 63 deaths per 100,000 in 1995 and declined to 59 deaths per 100,000 in 1996. Infectious disease mortality increased in the 1980s and early 1990s in people aged 25 years and older and was mainly due to the emergence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). And in the latest years about 19.000 people died of pandemic influenza H1N1, one example of recent issue of such pandemics.

Specific factors precipitating disease emergence can be identified in virtually all cases. These include ecological, environmental, or demographic factors that place people at increased contact with a previously unfamiliar microbe or its natural host or promote dissemination. These factors are increasing in prevalence; this increase, together with the ongoing evolution of viral and microbial variants and selection for drug resistance, suggests that infections will continue to emerge and probably increase and emphasizes the urgent need for effective surveillance and control.

The main problem in this kind of diseases is that they spread very quickly and it creates a panic reaction in people, making the problem to increase. I can remember when in Costa Rica the AHIN1 was heard, and all the people ran to buy many things to protect against disease, others said that they would not go out because was very dangerous and any sneezing caused that person to be away from the rest.

Everyone needs to understand that the Infectious Diseases remain among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Against a constant background of established infections, epidemics of new and old infectious diseases periodically emerge, greatly magnifying the global burden of infections. So we need to be alert but not alarmed for any good reason for that.


References

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases (Dr Armstrong), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Ga (Ms Conn and Dr Pinner).
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/281/1/61

News. CNN. www.cnn.com


News La Nación. www.nacion.com

Grippe porcine: Mexico sous tension, le monde en alerte. www.news.yahoo.com