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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 11/09/2009 : 05:29:43
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American Samoa is currently experiencing an outbreak of dengue fever caused by the recent typhoon that devastated the island. This happened due to wreckage that has not been cleaned up, much of it containing water where the disease's mosquito vector can breed like Catholics.
I have had dengue. It is called "break-bone fever" for excellent reason.
Dengue Fever in American Samoa rises after Tsunami
7:56AM Monday Nov 09, 2009
The number of confirmed cases of dengue fever in American Samoa doubled in the month following the deadly 29 September tsunami.
Dr Aloiamoa Anesi, chief medical officer at LBJ Tropical Medical Centre, said American Samoa's only hospital in October confirmed 62 cases and the territory's first two deaths of 2009 from the mosquito-borne disease.
"This is a definite increase from September figures (27 confirmed cases) as predicted with post-tsunami outdoor living for a lot of affected villagers," Anesi said.
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So, you ask, what pray does this, interesting as it is, have to do with climate change? After all, we all know it is happening, even the deniers. If the Samoans don't like dengue, let 'em go to Alaska, or some, damned place.
Well, if warming keeps on as it is going, and there is no reason to to speculate that it won't, the break-bone and other charming, tropical entities & events might well come to visit our fair shores. And I remind, it is not just Samoa hosting these little gems, but South America as well. As the climate warms, the vectors will increase their ranges, and have no where to go but north.
The World Health Organisation's website says the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades.
Some 2.5 billion people, or two-fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue, according to WHO, which estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.
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Ah, would that dengue were the only one. There are a great many more. For example:
Chagas disease
(also called American trypanosomiasis) is a parasitic disease which occurs in the Americas, particularly in South America. Its pathogenic agent is a flagellate protozoan named Trypanosoma cruzi, which is [[Vector (epi
African trypanosomiasis
or sleeping sickness, is a parasitic disease, caused by protozoa called trypansomes. The two responsible for African trypanosomiasis are Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.These parasites are transmitted by the tsetse fly
Leishmaniasis
caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, and transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly.
Leprosy†
(or Hansen's disease) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom.[6] Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to popular conception, leprosy does not cause body parts to simply fall off, and it differs from tzaraath, the malady described in the Hebrew scriptures and previously translated into English as leprosy.[7]
Lymphatic filariasis
is a parasitic disease caused by thread-like parasitic filarial worms called nematode worms, all transmitted by mosquitoes. Loa loa is another filarial parasite transmitted by the deer fly. 120 million people are infected worldwide. It is carried by over half the population in the most severe endemic areas.  The most noticeable symptom is elephantiasis: a thickening of the skin and underlying tissues. |
The list is much longer and this is a mere skimming of the tropial disease Hall of Fame. Here's a few lesser known ones:
Hookworm Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus
Trichuriasis Trichuris trichiura
Treponematoses Treponema pallidum pertenue, Treponema pallidum
endemicum, Treponema pallidum carateum, Treponema pallidum pallidum
Buruli ulcer Mycobacterium ulcerans
Human African trypanosomiasis Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma gambiense
Dracunculiasis Dracunculus medinensis
Leptospirosis Leptospira
Strongyloidiasis Strongyloides stercoralis
Foodborne trematodiases Trematoda
Neurocysticercosis Taenia solium
Scabies Sarcoptes scabiei
Flavivirus Infections Yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, dengue virus, Tick-borne encephalitis virus
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The Wiki link, ever catering to the bloody-minded, bless 'em, has descriptive links to each of these delightful gifts of God. It's a very good lesson in parasite/host relationships.
Of course, these relationships can change, usually to the advantage of the parasite. Remember evolution? Evolution jams high gear when the environment becomes stressful to a species. And as always, the littlest guys go faster on the evolutionary racetrack.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Edited by - filthy on 11/09/2009 05:31:27
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Climate change; scarier than you might know....
