Disease Epidemics in Animals

Introduction

A disease epidemic in animal is a general category of disease classifying any disease which spreads more rapidly and more extensively over a group prone to the infection (in this case, animal) than what would normally be expected.

Causes
Disease Epidemics in animals, like every other illness are cause by tiny microscopic organisms, known as pathogens. Pathogens are the agent of disease, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions (mutated proteins), and parasites. In the case of animal epidemic diseases, the group prone to infections is animals. These pathogens, disease agents, are easily spread. An animal may get infected by consuming contaminated food or drink, traveling on ground contaminated with a disease like Salmonella, getting bite by a disease-containing insect, or sexual contact.

Human can, and did contribute to the spreading of animal epidemic diseases in the past. As we all know the world economy runs on the trading of goods, back and forth from one foreign country to another; it is essential that the trade continues to meet the consumption of the ever hungry population. Food, goods, and animals are shipped and flied across the globe as regular basis. Once a trading good is contaminated and shipped over to a foreign country, the ship does not carry a cargo full of goods, but a cargo full of contaminated goods. This way an infection can cover the distance of the globe in the matter of weeks. Not only does an infection spread quickly, new diseases can occur when goods from foreign countries are shipped in with bacteria that might be non-threat in the country, but with the weak immune system in the new country, the non-threat bacteria can pose to be a major threat.

Effects
The effects of an animal disease epidemic can be devastating. If a case of an epidemic disease is prolonged enough it can, and most likely will, pose as a major threat to the country's economy. It will not only threaten the livestock of the country, but it can "shut down a country s access to export markets, and thus cripple an agriculture industry". What this means is that it will threaten the livelihoods of millions of farmer, jeopardizes, and may bankrupt poultry industries and thus also reducing international trade power. Animal disease in specific reduces human's progress in our fight against poverty and famine.

In spite of the overwhelming negative effects caused by animal epidemic diseases, it also brings up a positive aspect in terms of science and discovery. While the economy suffers from such diseases, the scientific world will blossom and benefit; it might open pathways to new discoveries or perhaps cure to incurable diseases.

Areas Affected
There are many kinds of epidemic animal diseases, each spreading widely in the world. The extension to which the disease can spread depends upon the conditions which must be met for the disease. Since there are bacteria and certain pathogens in most of the animals around the world, there are accordingly high amount of diseases occurring at a number of different places. To simply put the area of effect of a disease can vary anywhere in the world (urban areas are less affected due to better health standards and their lives away from animals).


Effects on MEDCs vs. LEDCs
To say the least, the effect of a major epidemic animal disease is devastating. This statement includes both LEDC and MEDC; the effects are no less devastating in a prolonged term, but in a regular span of time, a LEDC would suffer more. In a MEDC, the country will suffer major economic losses from agriculture, sundering its industry, thus cutting its income. But with funding money, the country is more likely to make a recover. A LEDCs weaker economy which base itself from agriculture will probably collapse and fall apart. Poorer people in LEDC are also more likely to cohabit with their animals and rely on agricultural product; they will be hit hardest, and their recovery, slowest.

Why do people live in hazard prone areas?
In a large scale, the world, people cannot choose to move out of the world or away from all animals to escape from epidemic animal diseases, so their options are limited. But in a smaller scale, in which farmers have to cohabit with animals on their farms or people have to cohabit with the animals in their neighbor, they cannot choose to move away. A farmer cannot abandon his farm nor can poor villagers move to more civilized areas with higher health standards. Once the disease spreads into urban areas, it is difficult for people to move away from their homes and civilized town life to somewhere unknown. The better option is to cure the disease.

Case Study: Avian Influenza China, Hong Kong, 1997

Causes
"The Avian flu, also known as bird flu is an infectious disease of wild and domestic birds, caused by a range of viruses known as Type A influenza virus" Bird flu had not only infected birds, the viruses have also infected humans and a number of other mammals. It can spread rapidly in close confines in a farm, and spread across the world through the migration of birds. The virus can contaminate a bird's dropping and its dropping can contaminate drinking water. The disease causes severe distress in the respiratory system and nervous system, making the disease an effective killer. But the fact that the flu can directly infect human was not known until the bird flu outbreak in Hong Kong 1997.

Effects
The effects of the avian flu out break in Hong Kong were small and contained. The flu only sickened 18 people and killed a mere 6 of them. The damage was less, because humans have a degree of immunity against influenza subtypes in winter flu seasons (coincides with the outbreak).

Protection Measures
In August 2005 the American institutes of health reported that they had successfully issued a vaccine capable of curing the virus, but there were not enough vaccine to respond to the widespread. Thus we move to our second option which is the destruction of the infected birds. To simply put, slaughter the infected. As of now it is our best and only available option.

Conclusion
An uncontained spreading of animal diseases can cause the disease to extend over a massive distance and effecting millions of people, livestock, economy, and much more. We have seen such devastating effects in history and the near past; we will probably see it again. As we know, such viruses can transform into a new, and perhaps more devastating virus. This makes the outbreak of such diseases so sudden and so terrifying. The world's current state of global warming only makes the matter worst, when it shortens winter, and increases the temperature extremes which makes human and animal more prone to disease. In the near future, diseases will be harder to contain, with the world's growing population, the population's demand should increase accordingly, thus increasing the "target" for the disease. There is no, and there will be no escaping diseases; coping with it, is and will be our best bet.


http://ec.europa.eu/world/avian_influenza/index.htm
http://epix.hazard.net/topics/animal/fad_sfu.htm
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