An epidemic of human infection (h-H7N9 AI)
with a novel Avian Influenza A (H7N9) virus (h-H7N9 AIV)broke out in China in
2013. The first case occurred in Shanghai on February 19, 2013, neighbouring
provinces were involved in the next months. Until May 10, 2013, 131 confirmed
cases had been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), of which 32cases died (24.4%).
It was considered that the incidence and mortality were both
high. Six hundred and twenty eight cases were confirmed up to April, 2015.
Until June 2016, 767 cases had occurred only in the mainland with inputting
cases in other regions and countries. It was suggested that the human infection
with H7N9 AIV is “Natural Focus Disease” and the “Natural Focus” is in mainland
China, therefore, it cannot be spread outward. “Natural Focus Disease” often is
referred to as “Zoonosis” by most scholars in scientific papers. Read more>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Epidemiology with its focus on exploring and identifying the
determinants of ill-health and why and how some stay healthy, and by extension
health inequalities is a core contributory discipline generating evidence on
influences, causes and potential ways to break the causal chain, thus enhancing
health In a European context where a cross-country average of 3% is spent on
prevention one must question why a greater proportion of healthcare expenditure
is not targeted and invested ‘upstream’ with a view to addressing the root
socio-economic and cultural causes of ill-health and health inequalities, thus,
intervening with whom or whatever is ‘pushing them into the river’. Read more>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ebola disease is acute, serious and often fatal if no
treatment and preventive measures are put in place. The virus is endemic in the
sub-Saharan Africa where it causes major as well as minor epidemics. Mitigation
strategies have not been well understood because of the easy transmission of
disease among humans. There are no approved drugs for treatment while vaccines
are being tested for human safety. bola genus is subdivided into five speciesi.e., Zaire, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Reston and Bundibugyo.
The risk of infection
with Ebola virus is associated with three behaviours which are, close contact with
an infected person in the later stages of infection; caring for a person with
an Ebola infection or when preparing the deceased for a decent burial. Viral
pathogenesis: Data on disease pathogenesis has been obtained from laboratory
studies that employ nonhuman primates such as monkeys, baboons and other
animals such as mice. Prevention and control strategies rely on employing
different interventions in case management, surveillance and contact follow-up,
provision of good laboratory services as well as safe burials. For the control
of outbreaks, there should be community engagement and training to increase
awareness on disease risk factors. Read more........................
In Drug
Administration (FDA), a Federal Agency of the United States Department of
Health and Human Services, before marketing (open to the public use). The FDA
has a systematic premarketing risk identification and assessment system and
makes decisions to approve or not approve a drug to treat a specific condition,
based on a benefit-risk analysis for the intended population. Once approved,drugs move swiftly into the market place for use by prescribers and patients.
The FDA also has a postmarketing drug surveillance and risk assessment system
with intention to identify unexpected short- and long-term risks of approved
drugs or products, which currently relies primarily on two methods of adverse event
reporting to the FDA. One is the direct, voluntary reporting by health
professionals and consumers. The other is a mandated reporting by
pharmaceutical manufacturers that is mainly based on the voluntary submission
of reports from medical facilities, health professionals, and consumers, so-called
MedWatch program. The spontaneous case reports from health professionals like
the MedWatch program are important, but may miss over 90% of all cases with
rare toxic events. Read more.....................
