Ebola is scary. It is
one of the diseases that Hollywood likes to use in its thrillers. For those suffering from Ebola in the
impoverished countries of West Africa, it is frightening and extremely deadly.
9,000 people so far – más o menos – have contracted Ebola. Only a few in the United States, but the fear
of the virus in the States is mind-boggling.
Ebola is a virus that causes hemorrhagic fevers. Do you know what else is a virus also causes
hemorrhagic fevers?
Dengue.
Dengue causes high fevers, chills and flu-like symptoms in all strains, but in the more serious strains it also causes such a severe drop in white blood cell counts that patients can die from secondary infections or from blood losing its function to clot. Patients bleed internally if not treated in a proper and timely fashion. Children are at higher risk of mortality from dengue than adults.
While malaria has declined by 25% worldwide, and in Africa 35%, dengue
is on the rise. Like malaria, dengue is
passed by mosquitoes. 4 billion people
in the world live in areas that harbor the dengue virus…and that number is
growing with the warming of the planet.
Which is good news for Nicaragua, where dengue is increasing
each rainy season becoming more and more of an epidemic. As the wealthier nations become more susceptible
to dengue, then more money will be invested in a vaccine…or in the case of ebloa
as The Onion headline satirizes, “Experts: Ebola Vaccine Only 50 White People
Away”…funny, but too true and too, too sad.
-Kathleen
*Part 2 coming tomorrow
