Emerging Infectious Disease
An Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) is an emerging or re-emerging virus that has not reached the level of a pandemic. EIDs may primarily infect smaller pockets within a larger community due to some population immunity or limited contact. Because it has not reached a level of pandemic and, thus, fewer people have been infected, there will be more resources available to aid in response and recovery.
The Baylor University College of Medicine defines Emerging Infectious Disease, or EID, as “infections that have recently appeared within a population or those who incidence or geographic range is rapidly increasing or threatens to increase in the near future”. Recent outbreaks that have been classified as EID were SARS, MERS, Ebola, chikungunya, avian flu, swine flu, and zika. EIDs are an important consideration for public health professionals and local elected officials because they have been the cause of some of the deadliest pandemics in history, such as the 1918 Spanish Influenza and the HIV/AIDs outbreak.
The Baylor University College of Medicine defines Emerging Infectious Disease, or EID, as “infections that have recently appeared within a population or those who incidence or geographic range is rapidly increasing or threatens to increase in the near future”. Recent outbreaks that have been classified as EID were SARS, MERS, Ebola, chikungunya, avian flu, swine flu, and zika. EIDs are an important consideration for public health professionals and local elected officials because they have been the cause of some of the deadliest pandemics in history, such as the 1918 Spanish Influenza and the HIV/AIDs outbreak.
There are four primary causes for the emergence and spread of an infectious disease per the Baylor College of Medicine:
- Previously undetected or unknown infectious agents
- Known agents that have spread to new geographic locations or new populations
- Previously known agents whose role in specific diseases have previously gone unrecognized
- Re-emergence of agents whose incidence of disease had significantly declined in the past, but whose incidence of disease has reappeared. This class of diseases is known as re-emerging infectious diseases.
There are a myriad of ways in which EIDs can spread to and throughout the population. This subsection explores them by dividing them into two categories: direct versus indirect contact.
Direct Contact
Direct contact refers to when an individual is infected by another person or an animal that has the disease.
1. Person to Person
Person to person disease spread occurs when an individual makes direct contact with someone who has already contracted the disease through kissing, hugging, touching, coughing, or sneezing.
2. Animal to Person
Animal to person transfer can occur if a person is either bitten or scratched by an infected animal. Spread can also occur by handling animal waste.
3. Mother to Unborn Child
Germs that cause infectious disease can be spread to an unborn child while it is still in the womb by passing through the placenta or it can be transmitted during birth.
Indirect Contact
Indirect infectious disease spread occurs when the infection is spread through an inanimate object or by something that has not contracted the illness, but is simply a host.
Insect Bites
Some infectious diseases, such as malaria, are carried by insects and spread through bites. The insects that act as hosts to the disease is known as a vector.
Food Contamination
Food and water may be contaminated by a germ and human consumption is the point of contamination.
Direct contact refers to when an individual is infected by another person or an animal that has the disease.
1. Person to Person
Person to person disease spread occurs when an individual makes direct contact with someone who has already contracted the disease through kissing, hugging, touching, coughing, or sneezing.
2. Animal to Person
Animal to person transfer can occur if a person is either bitten or scratched by an infected animal. Spread can also occur by handling animal waste.
3. Mother to Unborn Child
Germs that cause infectious disease can be spread to an unborn child while it is still in the womb by passing through the placenta or it can be transmitted during birth.
Indirect Contact
Indirect infectious disease spread occurs when the infection is spread through an inanimate object or by something that has not contracted the illness, but is simply a host.
Insect Bites
Some infectious diseases, such as malaria, are carried by insects and spread through bites. The insects that act as hosts to the disease is known as a vector.
Food Contamination
Food and water may be contaminated by a germ and human consumption is the point of contamination.
Emerging Infections Diseases have a warning time of weeks to months and can have the following potential impacts:<br /.
People General populace -would be impacted due to both physical and psychological impacts of disease; Possible school closures would aid in disrupting spread of disease; Vulnerable populations may experience more impacts due to environmental and cultural factors.
Economy
Increased staff absences
HealthCare System
Increased emergency clinical care visits, more hospitalization
Natural and Man-made Environment
Potential increased loss of agricultural assets (crop & livestock) due to loss of manpower to harvest crop; fewer livestock and crop markets due to restriction of crowds which prevent spread of disease;
People General populace -would be impacted due to both physical and psychological impacts of disease; Possible school closures would aid in disrupting spread of disease; Vulnerable populations may experience more impacts due to environmental and cultural factors.
Economy
Increased staff absences
HealthCare System
Increased emergency clinical care visits, more hospitalization
Natural and Man-made Environment
Potential increased loss of agricultural assets (crop & livestock) due to loss of manpower to harvest crop; fewer livestock and crop markets due to restriction of crowds which prevent spread of disease;
With the onset of changing weather patterns, distribution of vegetation and vectors that spread disease (e.g., ticks, mosquitoes, rats, etc.) are likely to expand or move geographically to unimpacted areas. Additionally, changes in living conditions and population migration to take refuge from impacts like heat and water stress could also bring risk of new diseases and higher rates of infection to certain regions. Recent disease outbreaks caused from humans interacting with infected species has caused the spread of virus and other pathogens from hosts to humans, which can be exacerbated as species interactions occur due to increasing climate pressures. Additionally, population growth and increased development, combined with more frequent storms and changes in rainfall patterns, may increase the population of mosquitoes and other vectors that thrive in certain climates that typically do not do well in the region under the current climate regime.
The BRADD region is at moderate risk for an increase in vector-borne illness as climate patterns shift and milder, warmer winters allow for the spread and invasion of ticks and insects. Additionally, a lower risk exists due to population pressures on agriculture and other natural habitats, which could increase proximity of both human-human and human-animal interactions and allow for the spread of disease.
Potential impacts include:
The BRADD region is at moderate risk for an increase in vector-borne illness as climate patterns shift and milder, warmer winters allow for the spread and invasion of ticks and insects. Additionally, a lower risk exists due to population pressures on agriculture and other natural habitats, which could increase proximity of both human-human and human-animal interactions and allow for the spread of disease.
Potential impacts include:
- increase in infectious disease via vector
- emerging pathogens from host transfer or new disease spread in the region by vector
- increase in infectious disease via human-human contact