Climate Change In Cholera Research Paper

The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 2,300 feet of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since

(WHO 2015) It is now generally acknowledged that the global climate is changing as the earth becomes warmer, in particular due to the burning of fossil fuels. Human health may be impacted by shifting the geographic range and seasonality of infectious diseases, possibly increasing vector borne disease rates, disturbance of food-producing ecosystems, and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, cyclones, floods and bush

Currently, one of the major problems in the world is the rapid change of our climate. Years of research and studies have linked climate change to the spreading and occurrence of many infectious diseases. Vectors and pathogens that were not able to spread to certain countries before because temperatures were too low for them to survive in are now being able to habituate these parts of the world because of how much warmer our planet is becoming. This is concerning to us because infectious diseases can increase death rates. Therefore, if our planet continues to get warmer, the more infectious diseases will spread, and the more humans will die. This research paper attempts to provide a better understanding on how diseases are spreading more

In present day, the ocean is warmer now than it has been in the past 50 years. In the article, " Signs of Climate Change", it says that in 1960 the average ocean tempature change was -.3 degrees but in 2010 the average tempature change in the ocean was .6 degrees. Where I live the tempature is still continuing to rise more and more each year. With warmer ocean tempature comes rising sea level. In present day the sea level has rose by 7 inches in the past 100 years. In 2100 th tempature is around 15 inches higher than it is in present day. Both of these things are causing more tropical storms to happen and is also making the beach less and less

1 Katz, L. S., Petkau, A., Beaulaurier, J., Tyler, S., Antonova, E. S., Turnsek, M. A., . . . Tarr, C. L. (2013). Evolutionary Dynamics of Vibrio cholerae O1 following a Single-Source Introduction to Haiti. MBio, 4(4). doi:10.1128/mbio.e00398-13 2 July 2013

According to the World Health Organization, a 2008 study showed that in the last 100 years, the world has warmed by approximately 0.75oC (Cruickshank 354). This warming has been and is a major factor that has contributed to the increase of destructive weather events. Such could be true in the case of the deadly typhoon that struck the Philippines in November of 2013. These weather events, in turn, contribute to the fact that infectious disease is the cause of approximately 37 percent of all the deaths in the world. This statistic is only expected to increase as a result of global warming. Additionally, over 40% of the citizens of developing countries and less than 2% of the citizens of developed countries are infected at any given time (Chan et al. 330). This is a staggering inequality, and it is undeserved that many of the countries that are being the most affected did little to contribute to the cause of global warming. This is why developing countries were specifically chosen to be looked into opposed to the entire earth population. Now, that some context has been given, more specific examples and studies can be looked into.

These vectors can carry infective pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which can be transferred from one host (carrier) to another. The seasonality, distribution, and prevalence of vector-borne diseases are influenced significantly by climate factors, primarily high and low temperature extremes and precipitation patterns. Climate change is likely to have both short- and long-term effects on vector-borne disease transmission and infection patterns, affecting both seasonal risk and broad geographic changes in disease occurrence over decades (see Figure ES6). While climate variability and climate change both alter the transmission of vector-borne diseases, they will likely interact with many other factors, including how pathogens adapt and change, the availability of hosts, changing ecosystems and land use, demographics, human behavior, and adaptive capacity. These complex interactions make it difficult to predict the effects of climate change on vector-borne

It has been observed through various researches that in the last century, average temperatures across the globe increased by over 1.3°F with an increase of more than two times in the Arctic. (Bates, Kundzewicz, Wu, & Palutikof, June 2008). The results of climate change can also be seen in changing precipitation patterns, increases in ocean temperatures, changes in the sea level, and acidity and melting of glaciers and sea ice (USEPA, 2014).

The findings were that 2 major factors were the key to protection against cholera, which was water treatment and proper hand washing, which is consistent with findings in other cholera outbreak investigations. One limitation was that the food exposure was difficult to assess due to the different type of dietary practices. Further studies are needed in the area of food diversity. Another limitation was that the multivariate did not adjusted for role that the protective affect of proper hand washing and proper treatment of the water played in this

Cholera is defined by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a bacterial disease that can cause diarrhea and dehydration. This is spread through eating/drinking contaminated food and/or water. Untreated sewage water and someone who defecated in open water are the main causes for this outbreak. Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated. Several treatments have been given to prevent this, while many people were able to battle this on time, several were not as lucky. Haiti’s largest river, the Artibonite became contaminated by wastes and other harmful bacteria from Nepalese soldiers stationed at the rivers upper valley. These soldiers were stationed there by the United Nations. The problem, is with this being Haiti’s largest river, many of its population (about 50-80 thousand to be exact) use this particular water to drink, bathe and wash clothes. This is where the cholera strain was found. The cholera outbreak in Haiti became a pandemic and a major public health issue. A pandemic is defined by Merriam-Webster as an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and effects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. Mother Nature has her own schedule. Avalanches,

According to a study in October 2015, “Earth had warmed by about 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880 when records begin at a global scale. Which includes the surface of the ocean. The warming is greater over land and greater still in the Arctic and parts of Antarctica” (Gillis, 2015). Although an increase of warmth of 1.7 degrees doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal,

The first Cholera epidemic in England appeared in October of 1831. Symptoms of Cholera include dehydration, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Soon the disease would take over the patient's body and kill them. The second epidemic took place in 1848 through 1849 and killed almost 70,000 people throughout England and Wales. Doctors could not figure out the source of the illness or how to cure it. The living conditions made this illness spread like wildfire. People were living in cramped living areas and did not have proper sewage systems. Human waste was thrown into ditches and alleyways. When the city would flood the sewage would flow into houses, marketplaces, streets, and eventually made its way into streams and the Thames river. Doctor

There are other common sources of cholera bacterium are surface or well water, seafood, raw fruits and vegetables, and grains. In water, Vibrio cholerae can survive for long periods of time, staying dormant. People in areas with poor sanitation, like crowded refugee camps, are at risk of cholera, due to the fact that water provided for said community could be a source of contamination of cholera bacteria. Seafood, when raw or undercooked, can be contaminated by cholera bacteria, if the seafood came from certain areas with contaminated waters. Since the 1970s, cholera outbreaks in the U.S. have been caused by smuggled seafood from cholera-infected areas, and from the Gulf of Mexico. Shellfish are especially contaminated, due to the fact that “they filter large amounts of water, concentrating the levels of cholera bacteria”. Raw fruits—especially unpeeled—and vegetables coming from an area with a source of cholera are another frequent source of the cholera bacteria. Innoculation of the fruits

As for cholera epidemic that cause environmental factors that promote the growth of bacterial accumulation and plagued humanity. Its an acute diarrheal infection caused by bacterium Vibrio cholera, which provokes disease in humans. “Vibrio cholera is a slightly curved gram negative rod with single polar flagellum. Cholera bacilli grows in the small intestine and produce an exotoxin, cholera toxin that cause hosts cells to secrete water and electrolytes, as well as potassium” [16]. It results in watery diarrhea and vomiting, if not treated it can cause a massive lost in bodily fluids that will cause dehydration, hypovolemic shock and death. As well as, rapid heart rate, loss of skin elasticity, dry mucous membranes, low blood pressure, thirst

From a scientific point of view, the author describes and substantiates the existence of global warming and also observes the potential effects it could result in. These include of rising sea levels, shifted climate patterns, increased threats to infectious diseases, extreme global temperatures, and coastal erosion. But ultimately, the report informs readers that the degree to which global warming affects life on Earth primarily depends on our decisions.