Illness Never Goes Out of Style

Illness Never Goes Out of Style

Cholera. Who ever thought we’d be worrying about cholera in 2017? This 19th century antique was revived in Yemen last summer and has recently reached out to its one millionth victim, with no sign of slowing down. It’s spread by contaminated drinking water; war-torn Yemen doesn’t currently have access to the reliable sanitation that we enjoy here in the U.S.

The Black Plague is a relic of the middle ages. It claimed millions upon millions of lives, killing about 60% of Europe’s entire population before it finally gave up and became extinct. Right? Actually, the plague is still alive and well and much closer than you think, with several cases each year in the American Southwest. Modern pest and parasite control measures have pretty much eradicated this disease from our densely populated cities, where it could do a great deal more damage.

Ever known someone here in the U.S. who got rabies? If you have, you’re one in a million. Although this disease hasn’t been fully stamped out in domesticated animals, strenuous veterinary efforts on that front have provided a protective barrier against infection of humans. In other parts of the world, however, rabies is killing over 50,000 people every year, sourced almost entirely from dog bites. They just don’t have access to the vaccine we use, which is virtually 100% effective.

The infamous “heart in a jar” has historically been a fixture in many vet hospitals. It’s the worms and heart from a heavily infested dog that expired from heartworm disease, preserved in solution for future generations to examine. In my part of the country, this severe level of disease has all but vanished. Heartworms themselves haven’t left the area—in fact, they’re EVERYWHERE—but diligent screening and modern preventatives have greatly diminished the threat posed by this parasite.

What ever happened to measles and polio? Gone, right? Nope, just on sabbatical. Previously notorious killers and cripplers, especially of children, these microbes haven’t been getting too much modern-day press. Both were once a part of daily life in the U.S., but today’s vaccines provide near-perfect protection and are highly recommended for all American babies. Polio has been relegated to a small corner of the world, but measles is extremely aggressive and occasionally causes outbreaks among unvaccinated Americans.

You see, illnesses we might consider historical or even ancient are actually still around today. They’ve gradually moved out of the main chapters of our medical texts and into the main chapters of the history books, but that’s been a direct result of medical advancement and constant vigilance. It’s foolish to think that cholera, rabies, distemper, or plague could never rise again. They’re all still out there, stifled for the moment by human devices such as water treatment facilities, centralized disease surveillance, vaccination programs, and parasite control. If enough of us become complacent on any one of these fronts, the viruses, bacteria, and good old-fashioned misery will have the upper hand again, just like it does in poverty-stricken countries and in the darkest chapters of our history books.

Dr. M.S. Regan