Swine
flu has infected 1,500 people worldwide and killed around 30, almost
all in Mexico. But it is far from the world's most serious disease
outbreak. Here are five you probably won't see on the evening news.
DESMOND KWANDE/AFP/Getty Images
CHOLERA
What
is it? An acute diarrheal infection that can lead to death from
dehydration or severe kidney failure. Unlike other diarrheal diseases,
it is often deadly in both children and adults.
Where is it?
Worried about a pandemic? Cholera has been a global scourge since 1961.
The disease is endemic in many parts of Africa, Southern Asia, and
Latin America. New infections jumped 96 percent in 2006. The growing
severity of the disease is likely due to overpopulation in areas
without sufficient sanitation.
Current outbreak: In what the World
Health Organization described as the "worst case scenario," a cholera
outbreak that began in August 2008 has infected more than 96,000 people
in Zimbabwe, resulting in over 4,200 deaths. The country's lack of water and
sewer infrastructure has exacerbated the problem, not to mention the
fact that many Zimbabwean doctors are refusing to work for Zimbabwe's
virtually worthless currency. In recent months, the number of new
reported cases has declined, but the WHO warns that a return of the
disease is likely in August.
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SPINAL MENINGITIS
What is it?
An infection of the fluid around the spinal cord and brain. Severe
cases of bacterial meningitis can result in brain damage or death if
not treated quickly.
Where is it? Outbreaks of meningitis appear
frequently in the northern Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, known to
researchers as the "meningitis belt." The latest outbreak has been
particularly severe in Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.
Current outbreak:
Since the beginning of 2009, a meningitis outbreak has killed more than
1,900 people in the three countries -- 1,500 in Nigeria alone. More
than 56,000 cases have been reported in the worst outbreak of the
disease since 1996, when at least 25,000 people died. In Chad, where
meningitis drugs are difficult to find, one in 10 people infected with
the disease dies. It is thought that an unusually cold climate has made
the outbreak worse than normal this year. In response,
NGO Médecins Sans Frontieres has launched its largest-ever vaccination
campaign for any disease. The group has already vaccinated 5.4 million
people and plans to vaccinate another 1.7 million.
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AIDS
What
is it? A disease affecting the human immune system, making individuals
more susceptible to deadly infections. AIDS has killed 25 million
people around the world since 1981.
Where is it? 33 million people
around the world are currently living with the AIDS virus, 22 million
of them in sub-Saharan Africa. New drugs make it possible to
dramatically extend the length and quality of life of AIDS patients,
but in developing countries, less than a third of those in immediate
need of treatment receive the drugs.
Current outbreak: China has
attracted international attention for the draconian measures it has
taken to prevent a swine flu outbreak, but it has been less quick to
react to the AIDS epidemic that killed 7,000 people throughout the country in the
first nine months of 2008 alone. AIDS quietly became the deadliest
infectious disease in the country last year, beating out tuberculosis.
China's numbers are still relatively smaller relative to world totals,
but their rise has been meteoric. Three years ago, fewer than 8,000
people had ever died of AIDS in China. Efforts to get accurate
reporting on the epidemic is difficult in the country because of the
stigma attached to the disease -- nearly half of Chinese say they would
never eat with an HIV-positive person -- and because local officials
intentionally underreport numbers in order to stay out of trouble with
Beijing.
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EBOLA
What is it? A severe viral disease in
humans and primates that causes fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting,
and in some cases internal bleeding and skin rash. Ebola has a very
high fatality rate, up to 90 percent in some outbreaks, and has
appeared sporadically since 1976. The disease tends to infect
healthcare workers or family members who bury the dead.
Where is it?
So far, outbreaks of the most deadly form of Ebola, the Zaire strain,
have only appeared in central Africa, where unsterile hospital
conditions make the transmission of the virus through personal contact
or bodily fluids more likely. Congo, Uganda, and Sudan have suffered
the worst outbreaks. The non-fatal (unless you're a monkey)
Ebola-Reston strain has appeared in the United States, Italy, and the
Philippines.
Current outbreak: The most recent outbreak of the
disease in Congo was declared over in mid-February after 32 cases and
15 deaths. 2007's outbreak was more severe, resulting in 187 deaths, 71
percent of those affected. Uganda, Sudan, and Gabon have also suffered
outbreaks in the last decade. The good news? Ebola is unlikely to
develop into a pandemic because of the difficulty of transmission, but
its terrifyingly high fatality rate has caused countries to close their
borders in order to prevent its spread.
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DENGUE FEVER
What
is it? An infection spread by mosquitoes that causes acute muscle and
joint pain. Cases are generally non-lethal but dengue occasionally
results in a deadly hemorrhagic fever.
Where is it? Dengue fever
outbreaks have been reported in the tropics for centuries, but until
1970, only around 9 countries had been afflicted. Infections have
spiked dramatically in dozens of countries in recent years, and there
are now an estimated 50 million infections per year. Around two fifths
of the world's population is currently at risk for the disease,
according to the WHO. Latin America has been particularly susceptible. Unlike other mosquito borne-diseases, such as malaria,
dengue affects both urban and rural areas.
Current outbreak: While
the world's attention has been focused on Mexico's swine flu, a severe
dengue outbreak infected 50,000 people in Bolivia and more than 20,000
in Argentina. (Georgetown's Michael Shifter wrote for FP this week
about how the Argentine government's slow response to the crisis has
become a scandal in Buenos Aires.) Exact figures are difficult to
obtain due to underreporting, but the death toll is thought to be in
the hundreds. Australia is also struggling to contain a dengue outbreak
that has infected nearly 1,000 people.
