Epidemiological Transition

With all of the technology improvements and advances we are able to fight and protect more effectively against ermiging diseases.

- Re-emerging diseases: Once controlled by preventative public health measures they are now on the rise

Bacteria are not just all of a sudden becoming resistant to antibiotics they have always had a bit of resilence, as a human species we have always developed something it doesn’t work we will develop something stronger, that has been the downfall in this instance. Pencillan is a great example as it is one of the most highly used antibiotic and is derived and made from mold.

Response Paper 4 – How have economic development and globalization changed the ecology of human health and disease? In your discussion, include aging, infectious disease, and chronic disease. You should discuss the concept of epidemiological transitions

Throughout history, infectious diseases have impacted communities around the world. Outbreaks of bacteria and viruses in the past have damaged cities and devastated populations. Over the years, new developments in technology have led to advances in medicine and health. The great strides that have been made over the years have helped improve the lives of individuals and have led to a better environment.

An article written by a physician named Eric Kodish, states the importance of making sure everyone is vaccinated. He mentions how the danger in rise of antibiotic

There are a couple of concepts that help describe this observation of health and socioeconomic factors. The first concept is epidemiologic transition. This is a term to describe when a population improves overall in things like healthcare, sanitation, quality of life, and more the life expectancy within the population will drastically increase and the main cause of death will go from infectious diseases to noninfectious diseases. This concept does relate to the episode I watched because in poor communities they will often have lower life expectancies due to multiple factors. The life expectancy could be increased if the overall quality of life in the neighborhood could be increased.

The two major public health achievements, over the past 200 years, surround the control of infectious diseases and advances in hygiene and sanitation. More specifically: immunizations through development of vaccines, safety in the areas of driving and in the workplace, ways to keep food safe by learning more about bacteria, better quality in drinking water including the addition of fluoride, healthcare for Moms, babies, children and families, the connections between tobacco and the hazardous results from its use, and drop in deaths from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and strokes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).

The disease environment of a particular area can be shaped by a number of things, some of which are economic, social, and political shifts in the area. During the 19th century as urbanization and industrialization grew economic, social, and political changes occurred. While these major shifts changed the dynamics of cities they also changed the dynamics of disease.

Concurrent with the decreased exposure to natural environments and increase in antibiotic therapies, westernized nations have exhibited a much higher prevalence of

Chronic diseases prevailed over infectious diseases during the first half of the twentieth century. The model that explains the patterns of diseases for humans over the past ten millenniums is known as the epidemiological transition. The epidemiological transition has three phases. The first transition is the emergence of infectious diseases and nutrient deficiencies. The third transition is the re-surfacing of infectious diseases and their capability to rapidly spread due to globalization. The second transition is the most relevant in this case. “The second transition was marked by the shift of disease patterns from infectious to chronic and degenerative disease in developed nations” (Third, n.d.). The advancements in nutrition, health care and medicine, which caused an increase in life expectancy, were the main source of the

The growing number of immigrants and refugees means that there is always the change of diseases being brought over as well (breitbart.com).

For many centuries, infectious diseases were the major cause of death worldwide. The last century saw a major global shift in the disease pattern. With the advancements in treatment and preventive modalities and improvement in living conditions, the infectious diseases were brought under control in the developed world, while the non-communicable chronic disorders started to emerge as the new threat. Towards the end of the previous century, the chronic diseases also started being more prevalent in the developing world. This became an additional burden over the already prevailing infectious diseases (1). Now, the threat of chronic diseases is widely acknowledged and major actions are directed towards tackling the global burden of non-communicable

Take for example MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a S. aureus strain that was discovered in 1961 to be resistant to the antibiotic methicillin. Webmd indicates that MRSA has now grown its resistance from methicillin to “amoxicillin, penicillin, oxacillin and many other common antibiotics” (MRSA). This increase in resistance of a methicillin-resistant strain of S. aureus can be attributed to the increasing use and overuse of antibiotics, not only in the doctor’s office but also in agriculture. MRSA is only one of many antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. New resistant strains are evolving rapidly. According to Dr. Ed Warren, “there are high levels of antibiotic resistance in bacteria causing common infections (e.g. urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections) in all regions of the world” (21).

When reflecting on the history of the human species, it is said that the narrative of mankind and infectious diseases are intertwined. For centuries, humans have been exposed to a seemingly infinite amount of contagions. Many viruses, bacteria, and fungi have plagued human beings for ages and have eradicated populations thousands at a time. Through medical innovations and the advancement of scientific knowledge, humans have been able to combat disease and disease-carrying vectors. Through proper hygiene, antibiotics and vaccinations humans have been able to control and eliminate many viruses and bacteria. It would seem that with the growing amount of medical knowledge, that infections would be less common, but this is not the case.