Back in April of 2012, a twenty-five year old man, who had recently traveled to parts of the Middle East, became ill in Saudi Arabia (WHO). He visited the hospital once he started seeing symptoms of an flu-like illness (WHO). To figure out what this virus was, doctor and researchers collected nasal sputum from individuals who were sick with what seemed like a new strain of the flu (WHO). This is when they discovered that the infectious agent of the illness was actually a coronavirus, which they called a novel coronavirus (CDPH). However, they renamed the coronavirus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, also known as MERS-CoV (CDC). Prior to this occasion in 2012, it had never been seen in humans before, and it continued to spread from here (WHO). Symptoms of MERS-CoV include fever, cough, shortness or breath and difficulty breathing. (CDPH). This symptoms clearly explain why this coronavirus can be mistaken for a type of flu. Some patients may experience worse symptoms like gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea and kidney failure (WHO). Also, individuals who are infected but have weak immune systems may have an atypical presentation (WHO). As of March 2014, MERS-CoV has been seen in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, the U.K, France, Italy and Tunisia (CDPH). Many of the cases seen in Europe and Tunisia have been related to an individual who had traveled to parts of the Middle East mentioned above (CDPH). This
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has a seasonal and yearly incidence, usually between November and April. It is responsible for high infant morbidity and mortality worldwide.. By the first year of life, 60% of children are infected, and almost 100% are infected by 2 years of age. (Saso,&Kampmann,2016). The more common age for hospitalizations occur between 2-3 months of age, and is the leading cause of infants being hospitalized in the developed world, accounting for 2 % of admissions during the winter season. (geerdink,Pillay,Meyalard,2015). The natural RSV infection in those younger than 6 months does not adequately develop a long-lasting immunological response, making reoccurrence of infection likely to reoccur. RSV is an infection that causes cold-like illness that can also cause otitis media, rhinitis, bronchitis, croup, and, pneumonia. Although RSV can cause different reactions, Bronchiolitis is the most common form of occurrence in the pediatric population. This virus is very caustic to the respiratory lining for vulnerable infants, that it increases the risk for respiratory diseases in later years of childhood.
Many people take breathing for granted, some never give it a second thought until a problem presents itself. Respiratory diseases affect millions of Americans as well as people from all over the world. Anyone can suffer from these disorders to include men, women, and children, with conditions ranging from mild, moderate, to chronic in nature. This paper will focus on one of the many respiratory disease called mycobacterium tuberculosis; more commonly referred to as TB.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a severe acute respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus named MERS-CoV. It is believed that the virus is found in camels and passed on to humans who are in contact or around infected animal. These camels are mainly located in Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia (WHO, 2015a). Those infected with MERS exhibit fever, cough, and shortness of breath, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Severe cases require patient to be put on mechanical ventilation or in an intensive care unit. It is also known to cause kidney failure and septic shock. The elderly, persons who are immunosuppressed, those who
These two persons were infected from a family member who had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia. March of 2013 a man from United Arab Emirates died from MERS in a German hospital. It was discovered that that man had racing camels. It was at this time that suspicions were raised about camels being a source for MERS. Saudi Arabia had another outbreak in May 2013 at a hospital in Al Ahsa. In May 2014, Saudi Arabia and UAE began reporting increasing numbers of infected cases. That same month, cases were exported to the United States, Greece, Philippines, and Malaysia (The Canadian Press, 2014). The cases continued to spread in 2015.
SARS is a respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus that was thought to have originated in Guangdong China but was not reported until
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, originally reported in Asia in February 2003 and spread to over two dozen countries before being contained (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2005). Once infected, individuals with SARS initially develop a high fever and other flu-like symptoms including headache, body aches and “overall feeling of discomfort” before, in most cases, progressing to pneumonia (CDC, 2005).
RSV plays a major role in respiratory infection among the childhood population, especially infants and younger children. It is the leading viral agent respiratory tract disease worldwide, causing bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and young children. There are about 100,000 cases and 4,500 deaths yearly of RSV infections in the United States (1). Typically, all children are infected with RSV by age 2 to 3; however, the infections can reemerge up to 5 to 6 per year. RSV was first extracted from chimpanzees that were showing upper respiratory tract disease as an agent in 1956 (1). The chimpanzees had an upper respiratory tract illness in addition to coryza, runny nose, and malaise. The humans that interacted with these
The emergence of the “Hong Kong Flu” in 1968-1969 marked the beginning of the A(H3N2) days. When this virus first emerged it had the lowest mortality rate in the 20th century. Although this virus first emerged with such a small death rate, it still continues to kill people to this day. Just as when the A(H2N2) virus appeared in 1957 causing the disappearance of the A(H1N1) virus, the appearance of the A(H2N3) virus caused the disappearance of the A(H2N2) virus. After being dormant for almost 30 years, the A(H1N1) virus reappeared and today
Avian influenza is a disease that has been wreaking havoc on human populations since the 16th century. With the recent outbreak in 1997 of a new H5N1 avian flu subtype, the world has begun preparing for a pandemic by looking upon its past affects. In the 20th Century, the world witnessed three pandemics in the years of 1918, 1957, and 1968. In 1918 no vaccine, antibiotic, or clear recognition of the disease was known. Killing over 40 million in less than a year, the H1N1 strain ingrained a deep and lasting fear of the virus throughout the world. Though 1957 and 1968 brought on milder pandemics, they still killed an estimated 3 million people and presented a new
Influenza strikes this country in pandemic proportions every year. Although there are many factors contributing to morbidity and mortality, the mortality rate varies from year to year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the thirty year range from 1976 to 2006, saw death rates from a low of 3000 to a high of 49000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). So far this season, there have been 3697 deaths from influenza related illness (CDC, 2016). In 2009, the virulent H1N1 strain, with a 20% risk of death, also brought the difficulties of lack of research based clinical evidence for treatments (Cook, et al., 2010). The lack of research conducted during pandemics stems from the delay caused by the often
Respiratory disease affects the quality of life for many Australians. Common respiratory diseases that impact on health include Emphysema, Cystic Fibrosis and asthma. These illnesses and conditions can range from minor to life-threatening. This group of disease offers significant potential for prevention.
The spread of a virus later to become known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) began in a small providence in South China. The initial case of this deadly virus is thought to have occurred on November 16, 2002. By February 2003 it was officially identified as strain of the Coronavirus (also known in the common cold) called SARS (World Health Organization, 2015). This strange illness primarily affected the respiratory system and was eventually found to have a ~50% mortality rate. Duration of the outbreak lasted approximately eight months and spread worldwide, infecting over 8,000 people (Graham,
In April of 2018 another severe case of hantavirus was reported. A women named Kylee Lane had been given’ the diagnosis the ever so deadly hantavirus. Lane was a mother of one and each time she’d go to visit her daughter, her symptoms were worse and worse. By the time of one of her lasts visits she could barely walk to see her daughter. Currently she is also on a ECMO machine in very critical condition.
A number of studies have supported the theory that the virus had originally occurred in animals previous to human infections.5 The MERs-CoV virus is a type of coronavirus that has been known for infecting both birds and many species of mammals. These types of infections are commonly referred to as zoonotic diseases because the pathogens are able to be transferred from animals to humans. Zoonosis can happen with or without a vector in order to spread the infection. Although the exact origin of the MERs-CoV infections is unknown, there has been convincing research performed that has found related types of coronaviruses in bats and camels. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus is found in multiple species and can cause respiratory illness and gastrointestinal upset.
MERS-CoV cases have been found in a few countries throughout the world, but mostly have been found in Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. Countries other than the Middle East have had MERS-CoV cases such as Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Reasons for the spread of the disease is believe to be caused by tourist or relatives traveling to and from the Middle East.