DISEASES THAT COMES!!

[maria angelica sassone]

Until recently this concept was associated with infectious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, among others. Today, the term is extended to all infectious diseases whose incidence rate has increased considerably in recent years: obesity, asthma, professional home and dementia, among others. They represent a threat to public health.

- Image: Ruben Garcia / Consumer Eroski -

In recent years, a variety of factors have shaped the development and resurgence of various diseases, both infectious and non. While this increase mainly affects areas with more poverty and social exclusion, the most developed societies but with unhealthy lifestyles are not left out.

All these pathologies, together, constitute a serious health problem worldwide in the coming years. And not only because there is a global problem that must address several countries (many are caused by migration), but because the new concept of emerging diseases including more recently a non-infectious diseases whose control depends on the health policies of each country.

Emerging

In the book "Emerging Diseases", published by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, updates the status of this group of diseases that in recent years have taken a new dimension. Acute respiratory infections, the AIDS , severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, influenza, malaria and tuberculosis are the major infections that have always been subsumed under the term "emerging." Environmental factors, technological and social continue with an important role in the revival of them all and also some return with more force, due to more resistant organisms.

La Agency for International Development's Emerging Pandemics Threats Program de EE.UU., auspiciada por importantes centros y universidades del país, acaba de publicar un nuevo mapa mundial con objeto de dar pistas sobre la situación actual de las enfermedades infecciosas emergentes en todo el mundo. Para responder al reto sanitario que suponen, según los especialistas, es necesario un esfuerzo internacional para coordinar los sistemas nacionales de salud y establecer un enfoque multidisciplinar que incluya la participación de todos los profesionales implicados: epidemiólogos, clínicos, microbiólogos, investigadores básicos y veterinarios.

The non-infectious

The new approach includes current emerging disease noncommunicable diseases increasing prevalence, such as asthma

A disease is emerging as the degree of incidence in recent years experienced a significant increase in the population. The new modern approach to this concept includes non-communicable diseases with increasing prevalence. Only the incidence of asthma has been a gradual increase in several countries, which has now reached epidemic proportions. Data on new cases annually in Spain are around 5.53 per 1,000 people, one of the lowest figures in Europe for many years but is an underdiagnosed disease: more than 50% of asthma affected do not know .

In recent years also has increased the role of chemical agents to cause disease. The media have filled pages about food contamination (mercury, dioxins, clenbuterol) and have created real crisis. Whether in food or the environment, there are many chemicals that affect the entire population, including babies, pregnant women and the elderly. Taking into account that the exposure is spread over the life of a person, the problem is growing in importance. And, according to available data, the level of contamination appears not to retreat.

Clinical practice for this type of disease, unknown in many cases is difficult. In developed and industrialized societies, since these factors are well known contaminants, it opts for prevention in the workplace to prevent occupational diseases. In these cases, we have established control systems and levels of exposure to a particular substance. Many of them can become part of the human body and in substantial numbers, cause a tumor condition, contact (lead poisoning) or by ingestion .

The obesity has also become part of the family of emerging diseases. Considered for years a pandemic in the Western world, obesity has become a very worrying because it is increasingly affecting the population of children and adolescents. As a result, increased cases of diabetes mellitus type 2-another-century epidemic, the metabolic syndrome and related, such as hypertension and cholesterol. On the other side of the coin shows the eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, the incidence, far from diminishing, increases significantly.

The aging of the population has led to dementia emerging disease entity. While the increase in life expectancy can be considered an achievement for society, it brings social and economic problems to be faced. The dementia and all associated diseases are a good example. For experts, it is essential that these new "added" to be treated on an individual from the health system and from outside hospitals, with awareness and prevention campaigns. Screening for these conditions is essential to address them. Furthermore, national efforts should be coordinated with international by being a global problem.

THE TRADITIONAL ANIMAL

Among the professionals necessary to succeed in a reasonable manner emerging diseases include veterinarians, as outlined in the book "Emerging Diseases." Every four months, arises a new and, in many cases, comes from animals: 75% of emerging infectious diseases originating in animals. Of those, 61% can be transmitted to humans, which is known as zoonosis . And the future of this field is also not optimistic.

A recent report of the International Livestock Research has concluded that population growth will lead to new epidemics livestock animals around the world and pose serious problems for developing countries, threatening their food security. It is worth remembering that caused millions in losses a few years ago of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the swine flu . Moreover, in poor countries, yet many families depend on farm animals for food. On the other hand, the increasing demand for meat, milk and eggs among consumers in developing countries leads to a rapid intensification of livestock production.

The research also warning that the rapid urbanization and climate change could act as unpredictable factors and alter the current distribution of pathologies. Researchers call for better surveillance of animal infection and carry out prevention and screening tests to prevent spreading. The agriculture and health are very closely linked. Therefore, the disease related to agriculture should be increasingly considered a public health problem. Experts suggest giving more importance to human health and secondly to stop the performance and productivity.

[Myriel RAouine]