John-Paul Glutting

Events are unfolding rapidly in the global spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus.

Since cases of coronavirus were first reported in China, the outbreak has spread to 16 other countries.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a deadly mosquito-borne alphavirus found in eastern states of the U.S. There is no vaccine and only supportive care is possible for those who fall ill.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever, a deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus, continues to be a threat to human health, especially in Africa.

Although Lassa fever is endemic to Nigeria, a recent outbreak of the disease there is the worst to date for the country, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

One of the most devastating events for a country is warfare, which has many of the same effects as a natural disaster (damaging infrastructure, disrupting health systems, displacing populations, increasing demand on medical resources, and limiting skilled health professionals)—either through violence or emigration.

Natural catastrophes can contribute to outbreaks of disease by damaging infrastructure, displacing people, and hampering the function of public health programs. In this post we will look specifically at one of the most problematic perils in terms of disease spread: flooding.

When we think of disease outbreaks, we often think about dramatic epidemics of novel disease agents (Zika, HIV, Ebola, etc.) sweeping through a population that has no natural defenses against them. However, most outbreaks are of known diseases.