Infectious Disease
Vectors and Pathogens
Pathogens are organisms, or "life-like" infectious agents in the case of viruses, that cause infectious diseases. They are capable of evolving and adapting to more effectively survive and reproduce within their hosts.
Vectors are organisms that carry and transmit a pathogen, such as how mosquitoes transmit malaria. As the climate changes, tropical vectors have their habitats spread and are able to reach more people.
While some pathogens can occur in areas regardless of how sanitary they may be, the lack of proper sanitary waste disposal and clean drinking water in poorer areas leads to the increased spread of many infectious diseases.
Below are various examples of infectious diseases.
Plague is a bacterial infection that is transmitted by contaminated fleas on mice and rats, as well as through contact with contaminated fluids. It still exists, but is treatable with antibiotics and is not as severe of a diagnosis as it once was.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death in the developing world. It is a bacterial infection that causes night sweats, fever, and coughing blood. It spreads from the inhalation of aerosolized respiratory droplets, which can remain airborne for hours.
Malaria is spread by plasmodium, a parasitic protist spread by mosquito bites. It is mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the leading causes of death in children worldwide.
West Nile is a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes potentially fatal brain inflammation.
Zika is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes and sexual contact, which can be passed from mother to child. It is most famous for causing microcephaly, where a baby's brain is significantly smaller than it should be.
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is a coronavirus that is spread from the inhalation of aerosolized respiratory droplets or from touching infected fluids. It was an epidemic back in 2003 and most patients developed pneumonia.
MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) is a viral infection caused by a coronavirus that transferred from animals to humans. It originated on the Arabian peninsula and had roughly a 35% fatality rate.
Cholera is an infection spread by drinking water infected with the bacterium, V. cholerae. It is mainly characterized by diarrhea, but also causes vomiting and muscle cramps, leading to dehydration.