Why do they continue to happen? These organisms have developed amazing strategies through the centuries to evade our immune system and cause diseases, but more importantly, infectious diseases are directly related to our practices, our way of living, and the way human kind interacts with each other and the environment around it. Due to these factors, we will continue to see new infections emerging, causing epidemics besides every now and then pandemics.
The SARS pandemic is a perfect example. In 2003, a man from Hong Kong got infected with a novel type of coronavirus. He then traveled to Canada and spread the infection to hundreds of people, which led to an international sweepstake infection and worldwide fear that got under control later with cautious behavior and strict infection control methods.
Because of travel, the world has become a small village, and as a consequence, we transfer not only our culture and heritage but also our diseases. However, it is part of our human nature to go out and explore new endeavors. This is not meant to scare people and restrict their movement, because it is through our amazing journeys that we discover our errors and mistakes and learn from them.
In our local environment, many infections have been linked to myths and urban legends. Some people claim that use of public restrooms can lead to infection with HIV and hepatitis! Although I always recommend appropriate hygiene and hand washing, the transmission of these viruses occurs through sexual contact and sharing of contaminated needles. Spreading the correct medical information is our way to fight these diseases and control their spread. Medical education is an essential part of modern civilization, and is translated into healthier societies, according to literature.
Having said that, it is important to shed light on practices that can truly lead to well-known infections. By modifying these practices, we can help minimize their effects on us.
Tuberculosis (TB), a global threat responsible for two million deaths annually, is one of the leading causes of death among curable infectious diseases. It is usually spread through respiratory secretions from one person to another. It is important to take precautionary measures, like wearing masks and avoiding contact with these patients until the early phase of treatment has ensued. We undergo these measures when we admit TB patients to hospital by isolating them in specially designed rooms, called negative pressure rooms, where air is circulated and not allowed to be distributed to other rooms or hallways.
The same precautionary measures should be taken to avoid getting infected with influenza and flu viruses, although infection with these organisms is self-limited and has fewer ramifications than TB.
The oldest and most effective method to stop the transmission of many infections is hand washing. It has proven efficacious against a variety of viruses that cause gastrointestinal diseases. Traveler’s diarrhea is among the commonest illness that we acquire when we travel to other destinations and vacation spots. We can help minimize their spread by keeping our hands clean and staying away from drinking un-bottled water and eating in suspicious non-sanitized restaurants.
Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are another leading cause of morbidity around the world. As it is linked to human behavior, it is likely to continue to occur. However, abstinence from forbidden relationships and use of condoms have helped in lowering the rates of these infections in many countries.
Denial is a wrong practice: Claiming that our society is different from others won’t help eradicating these infections. To the contrary, it might worsen the problem and lead to disasters that wind up being difficult to deal with. I believe we are seeing the tip of the iceberg, and unless we move quickly by starting to implement strong strategies and educate the public, we will face more drastic consequences.
I advise our readers to take refuge into common healthy practices that have been proven effective and highly preventive, like washing our hands, immediate disposal of dirty tissues, staying away from sick patients — especially those with coughing and fever, and consult with an expert physician before travelling in case we need special vaccines or drugs to prevent malaria. Nonetheless, more importantly, I advise people to take the correct medical information and avoid suspicious websites or rumors that swiftly spread around us.
As stated before, knowledge is our strongest weapon, and medical knowledge is no exception.
