The Next Disease is only a Plane Ride Away...

Plane ride to St. Louis I took in summer of 2010.

Since being in college I have not been one to watch much local or even national news.  Today, however, I decided to open up CNNs website and see what some of the big news headlines had to say.  As a health science major (with great interest in wellbeing), I immediately clicked on the “Health” tab and one of the first articles that grabbed my attention was titled, “CDC director: A disease outbreak anywhere is a risk everywhere” by Dr. Tom Frieden.  It immediately grabbed my attention as we have been discussing the importance of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in my epidemiology class. I then decided to read over the article and what I learned was somewhat unsettling.  In the article Frieden discussed how easy it is for a disease to spread, and spread fast! He states, “We are all connected by the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, and the next outbreak may be just a plane ride away.”  This statement stood out to me, and could not be more true, which is why it scary to think about. One simple mistake or overlook of a disease could cause an epidemic or even a pandemic! This is a chilling, yet realistic, situation.  Especially in today’s modern world with people traveling from country to country, the spread of disease is even easier and harder to control.  While I have not traveled internationally much, I know many friends who have for study abroad trips and mission trips.  It is scary to think that they could easily contract a disease overseas and bring it back with them to the US. Without epidemiologists and other health professionals working constantly to identify new viruses and bacteria and figuring out how to stop disease from spreading disease, it would be an even bigger issue than it already is. 

With aspirations to be a health professional someday, articles such as this are very informative and helpful.  Even though I hope to be an Occupational Therapist and not an epidemiologist, I can still use my knowledge on epidemiological matter to inform patients on how to help prevent the spread of disease. I can also encourage them to take antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, since the overuse of antibiotics has made many bacteria resistant to medication.  It is well known that it is much easier and cost effective to prevent a disease from ever occurring.  And at the end of the same I want to make sure that myself and those around me are healthy and free from contracting an infectious disease!

SAVE THE DOLPHINS!

Xeon kissing Jenna!

I think dolphins are such beautiful, unique marine mammals.  I first grew fond of them 3 summers ago, when I went on a cruise to the Bahamas.  While on my trip I was blessed to get the chance to swim with dolphins on a little island called Free Port. The dolphin I got to swim with and get to know was named Xeon.  She was very friendly and loved to “show-off.”  My favorite part of this experience was actually getting to stroke Xeon and feel her slippery, water-repellent skin. Ending the session with a big, wet kiss by Xeon was the icing on the cake!  It was such a wonderful experience.

Since that trip, I have kept a special eye out for dolphins whenever I am near the water.  In fact, this summer I was a lifeguard at Buckroe Beach on the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, Virginia (about 30 minutes away from VA Beach for those who aren’t familiar with southeast Virginia).  There I got to spend many, many long hours on stand at the beach gazing out into the expanse of water in front of me. As I sat guarding I would occasionally see dolphins out in the distance swim by in groups of about 5 or 7.  Since guarding can be fairly boring most days, whenever I could spot dolphins swimming by I would get extremely excited.  I found it to be really cool getting to see them travel by with the current.  They even did jumps and flips sometimes as they swam by. 

I vividly remember on the 4^th of July seeing a pack of about 10 dolphins swim by very close to the shore (only about 15 feet from a family out in the water)! I also remember being shocked that these dolphins would swim so close to land, let alone people!  It was soon after the holiday that beaches around our area began to find dolphins washed up on the shores dead. By the end of July/early August at Buckroe alone we had 3 dolphins wash up.  It was the saddest thing to see.  All the dolphins that died and washed up were taken up by Animal Control and tested.  Since leaving the beach on August 16^th I had not kept up with any further reasoning beyond the spike in deaths among dolphins.  As I was deciding what to write in my blog this week I was trying to think of experiences I have had in my own life that I could relate directly to epidemiology.  It was then I decided to follow up on any recent news regarding the dolphins dying in my area. 

Picture I took this summer of one of the dolphins that washed up at Buckroe Beach: 8/2/13

I did some research online and found an article by Christine Dell'Amore in the National Geographic News that was written in response to the alarming number of dolphin deaths on the east coast this summer.  The article was written on August 7, 2013 by Dell’Amore where she describes possible causes for this catastrophe.  No one reason has been linked to these deaths. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Services is working hard to find the exact cause.  They have tested several dolphins, including one that washed up in Norfolk, VA.  This dolphin and several others tested positive for a fetal (fatal?) airborne virus in dolphins called morbillivirus, which is a similar to the measles.  According to the article, there was a morbillivirus epidemic that affected the east coast marine life in 1987 and 1988 and killed over 900 animals; especially migratory dolphins.   Scientists wonder if this epidemic will be as catastrophic as the one in the 80s.  I found it very interesting in article that they described the steps that NOAA is taking to find the cause of these deaths—one of epidemiologist’s main jobs! I also found it interesting that they are trying to track down which areas had more deaths then others along the coast.  The more I read into the article, the more I realized just how perfectly this article relates to epidemiology.  To say the least, this class shed a whole new light on how I view diseases and how they can spread. 

 

On a more serious note, though, I hope NOAA or some other organization is able to find the exact cause of all these deaths soon or can find a cure for this horrible disease.  I love dolphins and hate to see them dying at such a rapid rate… Save the dolphins!!

"I Had a Little Bird, Its Name was Enza..."

1918 was a time of turmoil for the United States.  Not only were we at war in Europe, we were also fighting our own "war" back in our homeland against influenza.  The US was suffering the worst flu epidemic in history.  People were dying in staggering numbers from the disease.  No one knew who would be the next person to get sick and die.  It was truly an unsettling and eerie time in this nation’s history.  

The worst part was there were no answers as to where this horrible disease came from or how to stop it.  Some people believed it was the Armageddon or that the Germans gave it to us.  Doctors originally thought it was a bacterium causing the sickness, but the vaccines they made for it did nothing.  People continued to die at unprecedented rates. We now know that the disease that caused the 1918 flu was a virus.  Unfortunately, viruses cannot be seen by the human eye or even by the microscope during that time.  

Since vaccines could not fix the problem, quackery became common.  Many people made their own medicines at home, hoping something would work.  However, death rates continued to skyrocket.  Trenches were dug to accommodate the mass of coffins.  People tried quarantining those who were sick, but even that did not stop the deadly disease from spreading. 

The worst and deadliest month was October.  In 31 days over 195,000 people were killed from the influenza.  The strangest thing about this flu, unlike most flu viruses, was that 21-29 year olds were the most vulnerable people.  This included our soldiers at war who were also getting sick and dying; people who were considered healthy and robust were the target for this virus.  In the past, the flu was known to target babies, older people or those with already weakened immune systems.  It seemed like the human race would die out soon if a cure was not discovered…

But in November 1918, death rates finally started to drop.  And by the end of the war (Nov. 11^th) the flu was almost non-existent.  It disappeared, just as fast as it had come.  But it left an impact on this nation that can never be forgotten.  Everyone in American knew someone either family, friend or neighbor who had died from the flu.  But the excitement of winning the war helped Americans move forward and soon the Influenza of 1918 was a thing of the past…

From a student who is studying epidemiology, studying and learning about past epidemics and pandemics is extremely important, especially this one because it was the worst in US history!  By studying this disease we can better learn about viruses and how they are transmitted.  However, studying the spread and cause of this disease is not an easy task as it was so rapid and short-lived. 

It is frightening to think that something like this could happen again.  In fact, it is not unlikely that something so horrible as the influenza outbreak of 1918 could happen at any moment.  Viruses and bacteria are constantly evolving and changing, which is why it is important scientists constantly study and record any new developing viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.  It is also so important that epidemiologists and even a health professionals keep a close eye on the spread of diseases and try determining their cause(s) as quickly as possible.  But above all, proactively preventing a disease from ever occurring is the best solution!  Several years ago scientists warned of possible wide spread illness from the swine flu and many efforts, including extra opportunities and encouragement to get free vaccines, were put forth to protect the public.  Fortunately there was no outbreak but if there had been, health officials were ready.

Insight on Epidemiology in regards to "Contagion"

As an undergraduate Health Science major at James Madison University, I am taking an Epidemiology class.  Going into class I was not sure what to expect.   I only knew epidemiology was a field of science that had to do with the study of diseases, but not much more about the subject.  Only a week into the semester and reading about Epidemiology and I am eager and excited to expand my knowledge and learn more about this subject in the next 15 weeks or so! 

Our first week of class was spent watching the movie “Contagion” about the rapid spread of a deadly infection and how the professional world and health communities dealt with finding a cure.  I had never seen this film, but found it to be very eye opening. To begin, in the film a good deal of time was spent talking about fomites.  I had never heard this term before and found it very interesting to learn that fomites are inanimate objects that can carry a disease-causing organism on them (doorknob, elevator buttons, bathroom stalls, etc.) and it emphasized how often we come into contact with such objects on a daily basis.  This alone made me much more aware of my surroundings and everything I touch! I was also intrigued by how the movie portrayed the public’s reaction to such an epidemic.  It was a very plausible account in my opinion.  It showed people acting out in violence; robbing houses, pharmacies, and grocery stores.  If something like this were to happen in the US or anywhere for that matter, people would panic and violence would occur without a doubt. 

In the film there is also a clear distinction between social classes and socioeconomic status.  In my Community Health class, one of the main themes we considered was “health equals wealth”; those who make less money and can afford less, usually have higher stress levels and more health problems.  This was seen in the movie, which showed a scene where Dr. Ellis Cheever (an upper class worker for the Center for Disease Control- CDC) calls his wife to leave Chicago because of an outbreak there.  A janitor over hears the conversation and points out to Cheever that he has a family he cares about too.  Later in the movie when they have found a vaccine for the virus, Cheever heroically gives his vaccine to the janitor’s son.  This to me was a touching scene and showed Cheever to be selfless, when in most of the movie he only seemed to be interested in keeping his own co-workers and family safe.  From a critical standpoint, however, I do not know the likelihood of an event like that happening in the real world.  I would think most people would probably take care of themselves and their families first with vaccines and immunizations.

Overall, the movie was very informative and realistic.  It helped me gain a better understanding of how fast disease can spread and the steps that are taken when a new virus or disease does occur.