Its Name Was Enza

After watching the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, I was surprised that I had never known how extreme the pandemic was. Why was such a huge event in history, not mentioned in any previous course? We learned about World War I in almost every history class growing up. The 1918 pandemic killed over 50 million people, so how did it get left out?

Photo Source

The video explained a lot about the influenza pandemic, and there were a few things that stuck out to me. When people think about the flu, usually it is the old, the young, or the immunocompromised who suffer from fatal cases. The fact that so many strong individuals, like the soldiers, were dying from the flu was so strange even in 1918. Another surprising part was when the children in the video were jump roping to a song about influenza:

I had a little bird, 

Its name was Enza

I opened the window, 

And in-flew-enza.

If they were singing about a bird during the time of the pandemic, did they already know it was from a bird virus? The video portrayed it as if they only knew it was spreading from person to person. 

In microbiology we were shown the top 10 leading causes of deaths in 1900. Influenza and pneumonia topped this chart and were followed by several other diseases caused by microorganisms. Then we were presented with the top 10 causes of death in 2010. Surprisingly, a little less than a century later, influenza is still in the top 10 for leading causes of death in the United States. Why is influenza still causing so many deaths? One cause is that the strains are continuously changing and it is not possible to vaccinate someone for their life. Also, some viruses are only transmitted from animals to humans while others can be communicable from person to person. 

In 2008, MIT researchers explained why the H1N1 flu was able to spread the way it did in 1918. The avian flu viruses can only bind to human receptors if they match. The avian viruses mutated to be able to bind to the human receptors. They found the two specific mutations in the virus that made it easy to bind to receptors in the upper respiratory tract, which resulted in the pandemic. 

In more recent news, two days ago, 6 new cases of the the avian influenza A(H7N9) were reported to the WHO including one death. This strain was first found in 2013 and has not spread widely throughout China. There is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted person to person.

KR

Spring Breakers

Every year, thousands of college spring breakers choose Cancun, Mexico as their travel destination. It has a reputation of being the typical college place to go. Many of my friends are currently counting down the days until they can ditch their winter jackets for string bikinis. While we all are very familiar with the warning “don’t drink the water in Mexico,” what other risks are there for college students? 

For starters, spring break is already associated with a number of health related risks from injuries to sexually transmitted diseases. Regardless of the location, excessive drinking is “the norm” which often leads to carless behaviors. The health risks only increase more when traveling to a different country. 

The first thing everyone is told is to stay on the resort. Hotels and resorts provide full accommodations so you only have to leave when traveling to and from the airport. Of course, not everyone listens and some often venture into town. I can only imagine how easy it is for locals to spot tourists. 

Photo Source

Also, the CDC has a whole section dedicated to health advisements for Mexico travelers. They suggest seeing a doctor to ensure you are properly vaccinated before visiting. Many get travel vaccines including hepatitis A and typhoid in case they consume contaminated food or water. Malaria is also a concern in Mexcio. Antimalarial medications and bug spray are the easiest way to prevent mosquito bites that could infect you. It is strongly advised to see a doctor when you return if you are not feeling well. It is possible that you were infected in Mexico and are just showing symptoms now. 

Traveling to Mexico for spring break is worth it for the warmer weather, but you have to remember you’re in a different country with different health risks. 

KR

Epidemiology (n.)

When I registered for this course I honestly did not think much about it. It was on my list of required classes to graduate so I made sure it fit into my schedule. I really did not know if I would find the class interesting and had no clue what a whole semester of epidemiology would entail. After I attended the first class, my questions were basically answered. I guess I just never thought about how important epidemiology is to every day health. Also, I never thought about how many cultures and different populations can be studied in this field. I have loved the two anthropology courses I have taken at JMU and see how it can be related to epidemiology.

I had learned about epidemiology briefly in my community health and disease courses. I remember learning a little about the history and how Hippoocrates may have been the first epidemiologist. It was practiced throughout history including during ancient egyptian times. John Snow is another name I remember. He is considered the father of epidemiology for mapping out a cholera outbreak to find the source. I also remember calculating population rates and incidence rates of diseases.

Thinking about it now, the whole perspective of health changes because of epidemiology. It is key to prevention and establishing effective treatments. It also gives insight into which populations are at higher risk for certain diseases. So really, the field of epidemiology shapes modern health practices. Also, when I googled images of epidemiology, I found this comic that I thought was applicable to this post.

Photo Source

I am looking forward to hearing about the work Dr. Wallis has done and believe that her experiences will help make this class relatable. This course is one that I think will be interesting and very applicable to myself as a future health care professional. 

KR