Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Usually, a bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord causes swelling. There are millions of meningitis cases worldwide, and some forms of meningitis are more serious than others.
History tells us that it takes more than vaccines to end a pandemic, this is still true. The science behind disease transmission, infection, and prevention can only get us so far. Ending a pandemic requires scientific advancement and social cooperation.
Vaccination efforts for smallpox began in 1796 when Edward Jenner observed that people who previously contracted cowpox were unaffected by smallpox. After observing this, he began to work on developing a vaccine.
Rabies is a virus that is caused by Lyssavirus. It spreads throughout the nervous system once infected, and ultimately reaches the brain in animals and humans. But, when it reaches the brain in animals, this is when the virus begins to multiply. Once that happens, the virus travels to the salivary glands, which is how rabies is spread through a bite.
Animals can contract rabies through the same way that humans do, through an infected bite by another animal. In the United States, rabies typically occurs in wild animals that are not domesticated. These animals include:
Contrary to popular belief, just because a person has had malaria once, does not necessarily mean they are protected from getting it again.
Being infected once with the disease does not make a person immune. This is one of the common myths surrounding malaria, according to Reuters. Malaria can resurface and infect a person for a second time. Even if an individual has grown up in an epidemic region, this doesn’t guarantee protection from the disease either.
Pregnant women should receive a dose of the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine, also known as TDAP. This vaccine is critical to protecting the newborn from contracting pertussis (“Whooping Cough”). Because infants are at the highest risk of developing life-threatening complications from pertussis, vaccination of the mother during pregnancy is very important.
