...in Europe. In October of 1347 traders from Genoese came to the port of Messina. These traders brought the plague along with them. 7 infective waves occurred in Europe between 1347 and 1400, killing between 25 – 50 million people. During this dark era, people were scared and running amuck, no faith, religious or medical professionals did not understand the plague going into other people after infecting others. They believed that the world was nearing its end. People reacted to the plague with mass fear. For instance, the French Author Nicolas Versoris explains Paris’s situation; “… the rich fled” (Doc 3) while the poor were “porters and wage-earners, who had lived there in large numbers” (Doc 3) were left to die. Nicolas may have been an early noble that would have tried to escape the plague, somewhat pathetic. Those who were poor and infected were confined to their homes or villages; “Whatever house the pestilence visited was immediately nailed up… many died of hunger in their own houses… all roads and highways were guarded so that a person could not pass from one place to another”(Doc 5) as stated by Heinrich von Staden, a rich traveler, may have seen such events. The beliefs of people quickly fell and people lost faith; “what if the sickness should come into this house? Who would I be willing to give up to the disease?”(Doc 8). Many who were still free of the plague were extremely concerned about receiving it and took many precautions. Those that were lucky enough to not...
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...The books The Doctor’s Plague by Sherwin Nuland and The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson both tell stories of devastating epidemics in an age before the advantages of modern medicine. Today, medicine seems very scientific – doctors test treatments, gather data, and run experiments before a new drug or treatment is deemed safe and effective enough for widespread use. Modern doctors train for years before they begin practicing and benefit from the vast body of medical knowledge collected over centuries of laborious study. Before we developed these scientific habits, however, medicine looked very different. Before the use of microscopes in medicine and the discovery of germs, many strange theories about the origins of disease flourished in the...
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...The Black Death Bubonic Plague The bubonic plague is a highly infectious and fearsome disease that attacks the lungs and lymph nodes. It is also called the Black Death or black plague. The bubonic plague is caused by Pasteurella pestis, a bacteria which resides within infected fleas and rats. Victims of the bubonic plague develop early symptoms, such as shivering, vomiting, headache, intolerance to light, back and limb pain, and a white coating on the tongue. Eventually, they develop black egg-sized swellings (buboes) filled with blood and pus under the armpits and in the groin. As the disease progresses, internal bleeding leads to black patches on the skin, and the victim may die in three to five days. Invasion of the lungs by the bacterium causes an equally fatal form of the plague called pneumonic plague, which can be transmitted from person to person by air droplets and saliva. Historical records document outbreaks of the plague as early as 430 b.c., when an epidemic struck Athens, Greece; but the most notorious bubonic plague epidemic began in Europe around 1346, reportedly when a ship of sick and dying sailors arrived at the Black Sea port of Caffa. This plague lasted four years and killed about one-third of the population of Europe, or approximately 20 million people. For hundreds of years after, epidemics of bubonic plague would sweep across the world killing millions more. The disease was so lethal that some victims supposedly would go to bed healthy and die in...
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...LONDON IN 1665: THE GREAT PLAGUE Ellery Kamp HIST 4300: Junior Seminar December 7, 2015 In 1665, Londoners experienced their last, and most detrimental, wave of the Bubonic Plague; this specific outbreak is known today as The Great Plague. Population analyses provided by the Office of National Statistics along with the Bills of Mortality that were published on a weekly basis during the plague have concluded that around one hundred thousand people living in England died due to the plague, which was extremely significant because the estimated population of England at the time was under four hundred thousand people. The devastation that Londoners experienced during this outbreak was unexpected and far worse than any previous outbreak, leading many people to search for both an explanation for the plague’s occurrence and a successful way to stop it. Although modern research has attributed the origin of the bubonic plague to fleas and rats, medical and scientific technology was not advanced enough in 1665 to come to that conclusion; the invention of the microscope was necessary in order to study the specific mode of infection. At the time of the Great Plague, there was no revelation of the real cause of the transmission and infection of the plague; there were only general ideas of “pestilential miasmas” and “corrupted air” that were largely attributed to religious causes, such as being a punishment sent from God. Just as during other outbreaks of the so-called pestilence...
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...Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which he/she has a financial relationship.) There is no commercial support being used for this course. Participants are advised that the accredited status of RN.com does not imply endorsement by the provider or ANCC of any products/therapeutics mentioned in this course. The information in the course is for educational purposes only. There is no “off label” usage of drugs or products discussed in this course. Acknowledgements RN.com acknowledges the valuable contributions of… Material protected by Copyright …The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (www.cdc.gov), the key government agency responsible for disseminating knowledge about various biological agents. …U.S. Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRRID). USAMRRID spearheads efforts to protect service members from biological threats. Its efforts are well known and utilized by the civilian population. USAMRRID is located at Fort Detrick, Maryland. …Nadine Salmon, RN, BSN, IBCLC is the Clinical content Specialist for RN.com. Nadine earned her BSN from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She worked as a...
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...Modern Medicine throughout the Middle Ages During the Middle Ages, the culture and society of Europe and the Western world was under the control of the Church. The religious aspects of medieval European peoples were a great consideration in the matters of the body and health care. The majority of medical knowledge and research was under the influence and followed the expressed ideas of the Church. As the hold of the Church on society began to disintegrate, medicine was able to move from medieval practices influenced by religious belief into modern medicine, based upon observation and evidence. Causes of disease and illness were now understood and scientists were able to start searching for cures because restrictions that prevented modern medical theories from being discovered were lifted. Paracelsus discovered that agents outside the body caused illness. The study of the human anatomy was now practiced and became an essential part of medical knowledge, giving way towards new modern advancements such as blood transfusions and surgeries. Da Vinci conducted many autopsies and constructed detailed drawings of the human anatomy, which had never been studied earlier. Medical knowledge was no longer different and divided into sects but was now centralized under the modern scientific teachings taught to doctors in universities everywhere. As the culture of the Middle Ages moved away from the Church and religion so did scientific knowledge, and without this change medicine would...
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...Personal Essay for Medical Course When I was a child, my cousin, who was of the same age, died of a particularly vicious flu. This case, however trivial it may sound, impressed me so greatly that I decided to connect my life with medicine when I grow up, so that I would be able to study the disease, understand how it functions and, probably, will be able to save somebody else from undergoing the same experience. By the time I reached high school, this resolution became rather lukewarm, but still I tried to apply it to several biology and medical clubs; and, surprisingly, it turned out that my early decision was completely correct, for biology and medicine became the subjects that I enjoyed particularly throughout my high school years. Since then, I tried to further develop my interests and, throughout my undergraduate years, took three public health courses in order to familiarize myself with the system of health care in this country and understand how it works and, in perspective, how it can be improved. At the present time, I study biology with specific concentration on microbiology and infectious diseases. I have experience of work in a medical laboratory in Oldcreek, Kansas, where I had an opportunity to see how real research in epidemiology is being done. I am most interested in the reputation and facilities the Northern University of Alabama provides, and heard a lot of most praising opinions of the people working there. I believe that I may become a valuable member...
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...The Innovation Pandemic: Society quest for real time solutions Parish M. Kaleiwahea Wayland Baptist University Abstract The Innovation Pandemic: Society quest for real time solutions When one thinks of a business with information technology (IT) flair, Wal-Mart is probably not on the top of anyone’s list of companies leading the way of innovation transformation. However, for 45 years this retail giant has reinvented IT retail model for an evolving digital economy. Today in order to survive a global economy companies must embrace and invest in latest information systems infrastructure in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart’s commitment to enhance their technology by integrating traditional and e-commerce retail innovation by using the most advanced technology to enhance the retail empire. As profits continued to reap into Wal-Mart, its commitment to improve data communication systems for their company remained a priority. While other companies contemplate spending money on new innovative technology, Wal-Mart continues to dedicate itself to implement many computerized solutions such as instituting a uniform product code (UPC) system as its electronic scanning barcode tool (Wang, 2006). Innovation is a tough concept for people to wholeheartedly to embrace because it comes with all types of unknowns. Companies like Wal-Mart took a huge financial risk, but eventually stuck to their strategic vision to embrace and forge ahead in the technology era. However...
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...exposure. The period of infectivity has not been definitively established, some saying it lasts from two to four days prior, until two to five days following the onset of the rash (i.e., four to nine days infectivity in total), whereas others say it lasts from two to four days prior until the complete disappearance of the rash. The rash usually appears between 2–3 days after the onset of illness. The classic signs and symptoms of measles include four-day fevers [ the 4 D's ] and the three Cs—cough, coryza (head cold), and conjunctivitis (red eyes)—along with fever and rashes. The fever may reach up to 40 °C (104 °F). Koplik's spots seen inside the mouth are pathognomonic (diagnostic) for measles, but are not often seen, even in confirmed cases of measles, because they are transient and may disappear within a day of arising. Their recognition, before the affected person reaches maximum infectivity can be used to reduce spread of epidemics. Complications with measles are relatively common, ranging from mild and less serious complications such as diarrhea to more serious ones such as pneumonia (either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia), otitis media,[11] acute encephalitis[12] (and very rarely SSPE—subacute sclerosing panencephalitis),[13] and corneal ulceration (leading to corneal scarring).[14] Complications are usually more severe in adults who catch the virus. The death rate in the 1920s was around 30% for measles pneumonia. Between 1987 and 2000, the...
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...In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, scientific and medical experimentation was being conducted in countries like Japan, Germany, the United States and many others. Many experiments that took place during this time period were done on humans, most of which were conducted forcibly and without the consent of its participants. There were two major vanguards that carried out these experiments, one of which was under the rationalization of eugenics. The other was research carried out for war purposes. For example, the development of chemical and biological warfare was being attempted during this time period. The Japanese during WWII had a disturbingly particular interest in the development of biological weapons. According to the documentary “Unit 731: Nightmare in Manchuria” the Japanese conducted research on unknowing human participants in order to develop biological weapons. In 1940 and 1941, Unit 731 bred bubonic plague infested fleas that were then spread by low flying planes over Chinese...
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...Infectious Diseases: The Greatest Crisis of the world ____________ A Thesis Presented to The Division of The Arts and Sciences Voorhees College ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science ____________ Acknowledgements I am whole-heartily thankful to my Professors at Voorhees College for their tremendous effort in my maturilication through Voorhees College. Lastly I would like to acknowledge all of the people who had any hand in the completion of this thesis. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION * What are infectious Diseases? * Types of infectious diseases * Worldwide distribution of infectious diseases * * CHAPTER 2: THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IS THE WORLD * Top Countries * Top Diseases * CHAPTER 3: MOST DISEASES ARE PREVENTABLE * Why are statistics so high * Minorities prevalence, morbidity, and mortality * How to prevent yourself from being a statistic * Understanding the emotional burden brought upon families who suffer from infectious Diseases * * CHAPTER 4: TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE: COUNTRY TO COUNTRY * Thorough testing while entering and exiting countries * Childhood and adult Immunizations * * CHAPTER 5: FOOD BOURNE PATHOGES * How do they affect America...
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...History of the world, 2012). Around this time science was making tremendous strides in identifying the causes of communicable disease. As science advanced; the need for public health was apparent. The foundation for public health was laid (The History of the world, 2012). Now days Americans have more access to education and public health resources than ever before. Public health is broken up into county, state, and national needs. The county public health system addresses issues within a community to assist members to become and stay healthy. A county public health is made up of educators, nurses, doctors, advocates, researchers, and volunteers (County of Ventura, 2012). Community health is a field of public health that focuses on the study of the health characteristics of a biological community. Community health mostly focuses on the geographic area not the people directly in that community (Wikipedia, 2012). State public health addresses the needs of the communities within the state. Some examples of state public health services are identifying community health problems, encouraging, and educating people to adopt healthier lifestyles, responding to public health emergencies, and enforcing laws and regulations to protect the health and safety of communities. The state public health also ensures competent public health services are provided at the county level (California Department of Public...
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...sequencing of the genes that encode transporters and channels (as well as their subunits) is not a trivial matter and must be complemented by experiments determining expression patterns. The Xenopus oocytes that have been used for such studies are transfected cells rather than “real” polarized cells of the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle surrounded by the sophisticated hypertonic environment of the renal medulla. The complex polyuria–polydipsia syndrome described by Schlingmann et al. is attributable to the concomitant loss-of-function mutations in both CLCNKA and CLCNKB; the syndrome results in ion selectivity, demonstrating the means whereby a renal tubular cell lets one type of ion (chloride) through the lipid membrane to the exclusion of others. It thus provides yet another example of the molecular basis of Bartter’s syndrome (see Figure). The contributions of Roderick McKinnon and Peter Agre to solving these two complementary problems of the resorption of renal solute and renal solvent earned them the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry.5 We live in a fascinating time in which clinical syndromes can be deciphered at the molecular and even the atomic level. From the Department of Medicine and the Membrane Protein Study Group, University of Montreal (D.G.B.); and the Department of Human Genetics and Medicine, McGill University (T.M.F.) — both in Montreal. 1. Peters M, Jeck N, Reinalter S, et al. Clinical presentation of genetically defined patients...
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...a biological weapon 1. Biosafety level three 2. Anthrax not contagious between humans E. Cutaneous anthrax Symptoms F. Inhalation anthrax. G. Gastrointestinal anthrax. II. Origins of the Disease A. Ancient Mesopotamia B. Mention in The Iliad III. Ancient Manifestations, Views, and Causes IV. Ancient Treatments of Disease Symptoms A. Figs B. Anthrax control 1. Burning in Ancient Athens 2. Burning in 1600s 3. Burning Laws in Late 1600s V. Social Effects on Victims and Socioeconomic Impact on Society A. 2001 U.S. Postal Service anthrax incident B. Projected economic impact of a bioterrorist attack VI. Epidemic Outbreaks A. 1500 B.C. -- Fifth Egyptian plague B. 1600s -- "Black Bane" C. 1770 -- Haiti D. 1978-80 Human anthrax epidemic in Zimbabwe VII. Modern Causes of the Disease VIII. Current Treatments A. Historical Development of Modern Treatment Methods 1. 1877 Robert Koch 2. 1881 Louis Pasteur 3. 1937 Max Sterne 4. 1944 First use of penicillin to treat anthrax 5. 1979 Modern vaccine developed B. Treatment of Today IX. Anthrax as a Biomedical Weapon A. Modern threat B. 1916-1918 Mesopotamia and Russia. C. 1942 Anthrax Island D. 1979 Russian Town of Sverdlovsk E. 2001 Anthrax Letters Introduction Bacillus anthracis a deadly disease that kills man and beast. This paper will explore the disease from its ancient origins...
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...Issues Confronting ‘Them’ (People with HIV/AIDS) The issues confronting ‘them’—a metaphor society uses to refer to people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is not only a physical health crisis but also a social crisis that has and continues to affect every sector of the United States. Accompanying the disease is an acute fear in society that fosters gross assumptions and a lack of education about AIDS. . Because social issues confronting the HIV population presents a series of critical civil rights problems, it is imperative that individuals living with HIV/AIDS are aware of their civil rights as well as know the resources to advocate for themselves when a provider threatens their rights. National legal organizations, like the ACLU AIDS Project is available to enforce their civil rights through litigation, public education, and legislative advocacy (America Civil Liberties Union, 2009). The main social iniquities attached to HIV are those of stigma and discrimination. Social stigmatism toward persons with HIV/AIDS is an infliction of suffering, which thwarts any attempts to fight the AIDS epidemic. Stigma, as a form of social control is a means to marginalize, set limitations, and exercise power over individuals who society considers different through certain characteristics. Social stigma rejects the social groups associated with HIV, (e.g. homosexuals, illegal drug users, sex workers (Bardj, 2012)...
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