Do you remember your first bout with the flu? Probably not, since it happened decades ago.
But, your body remembers very well, at least according to a new study from the University of Arizona. The study showed the first flu virus your body encounters as a young child indicates how well your body will protect itself against the flu in the future.
This research is important, because recent flu seasons have been more dangerous than previous seasons.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) remains the most common sexually transmitted infection. According to the CDC, about 79 million Americans are currently infected and around 14 million become infected with HPV each year.
Although, unlike with many other common illnesses, we have a way to prevent HPV. The widely-available HPV vaccine is nearly 100% effective against nine strains.
Upon infection, the virus can cause a wide range of health problems.
For most, it won’t show any symptoms, one of the reasons the STI is so commonly spread. But, HPV can also lead to symptoms like genital warts or something much more severe, such as cervical cancer.
The rest of the world has taken strides in cholera prevention, but last week Haiti reached a milestone in their battle with cholera. The Caribbean nation has now been cholera-free for an entire year after a nine-year outbreak. Lasting most of the last decade, the outbreak caused around 820,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths.
According to the United Nations News, the last confirmed case occurred in January 2019. Since that boy under the age of five was infected, there have been no confirmed cholera cases.
The outbreak, which began in October 2010, was the country’s worst medical emergency since the 2010 earthquake that struck in January. For nine years, the outbreak would continue to be the worst medical emergency in Haiti.
On January 30, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. With a health emergency as large as this, there were immediate calls for a vaccine. And yet, we not only lack a vaccine for coronavirus, but treatment as well.
There are over 8,000 confirmed cases globally, with six of those cases in the United States. The CDC has also confirmed the first human-to-human transmission in the U.S.
“This is nothing to be either surprised or concerned about,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, president of Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the CDC. Freiden mentioned a need to focus on how the virus is spreading in China. By looking at the virus where it started, they can better understand it and slow the outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that 2020 is the start of the decade for disease elimination.
That’s not to take away from the many medical and health accomplishments in the past 10 years. But, as we enter a new decade, the WHO hopes to achieve even more in the coming years.
The organization attributes the previous successes to new commitments to health worldwide. And with those improvements, millions of lives have been saved.
But, there remains many ongoing health risks throughout the world, some of which are only getting worse. So, we enter the decade with challenges, including, “the 2020 and 2030 global elimination targets for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).”
