Ebola. Dengue. Measles. SARS. Lassa fever. West Nile virus. Cholera. Bird flu. Zika virus. Sound familiar? In recent years and months, these words have made news headlines all over the world. It’s clear that infectious diseases are not going away. In addition to new deadly pathogens emerging, older viruses are making a comeback and claiming…
Infectious Disease Outbreaks Galore
#IDFridays Week 5: Tuberculosis
Did you know Nigeria is one of the 22 countries with the highest rates of tuberculosis in the world? Name Tuberculosis Transmission Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis There are two types of TB infection: ~1/3 of the world’s population is infected with the TB bacteria but not…
#IDFridays Week 4: Measles
Just like whooping cough, the measles virus is also making a comeback as outbreaks continue to occur all over the world from Australia to California to Nigeria Name Measles Transmission Caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family, is highly contagious, and is normally passed through direct contact and through the air Person-to-person transmission mainly…
#IDFridays Week 3: African Sleeping Sickness
Have you ever heard that an insect bite can make you very tired? Well, it’s not a myth… Name Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) Transmission Through the bite of an infected tsetse fly Geography In 36 sub-Saharan African countries and there are two strains: West African trypanosomiasis, (aka Gambian sleeping sickness) is caused by a parasite…
#IDFridays Week 2: Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
The deadly cough that is making a comeback decades later Name Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Transmission Only in humans Caused by the bacteria called Bordetella pertussis Highly contagious and spread through respiratory particles/droplets (these particles are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can be inhaled by others) Geography Worldwide Incubation Period 7 –…