Disease X – When a deadly plague is coming
The world health organization lists the “disease X” as the “epidemic of the future”. Disease X does not mean you will, because it’s still there, you could develop as a new disease – for example, as a Mutation of an existing flu virus. Dangerous the infection can be disease, if not treatments exist.
Risk of new diseases?
In the past, killed any new or previously unknown pathogens, hundreds of millions of people. Influenza viruses belong to the Plagues that change the fastest, and the science is constantly in the Competition, the vaccines, the mutations to adapt. Changes in influenza viruses belong to the diseases that killed much of the global most people.
The Spanish Flu
A mutated flu virus, the “Spanish flu” at a cost of between 1918 and 1920, around 25 to 50 million people. Typically, your faster progress and a bloody lung inflammation as well as the extremely high death rate, so that Doctors first thought of a new Form of plague. Only in 1933, it turned out that it was the flu.
No Therapies
The most dangerous infectious diseases against which there are no means to fight them – or at least not sufficient. Some of the horrors of the past are not eradicated by vaccines as smallpox. Or they have been controlled through vaccination, such as rabies. Marburg Virus, Lassa fever and Zika Virus is the disease against which the medicine is powerless. As a potential large risk in case of a possible outbreak, the WHO sees the “disease X”.
Mutated Pathogens
Also, new forms of avian influenza, discuss the scientists as a possible disease X. relates to the current Form of animals and not people. But this is not clear, because the most deadly diseases in the history of mankind caused by mutant agents of animal diseases, adapted to the people.
Unknown Dangers
Other candidates for a disease X, the unknown pathogen can be transmitted from animals to humans, with which people came but, as yet, been in contact so far. This could be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that can be lurking in the Arctic, the deep sea or in the rain forest. Such a type of the Ebola virus, for example.
What is the meaning of the fictitious “disease X”?
When a previously unknown pathogen from spreading, he in modern medicine the advantage of the time. He can trigger an epidemic, before the science knows only what it is. He’s ahead of his enemies – the medicine – so always a few steps. To design possible scenarios for future pandemics, the prevention. If there is already a infrastructure of research and Intervention, in case of emergency, faster diagnose, vaccines can quickly recover and medicines – so the hope.
Danger detected – if possible get banned
Today, researchers estimate that by the end of in the case of an emerging disease situation, first of all, how dangerous it is. The security levels for BL 1 to BL 4 are used. BL 4 is on high alert – for example, in the case of Ebola. Then, the proteins are examined. This can be seen, which is the group of diseases of the pathogens – and then you can develop a remedy.
Every year a new infectious disease
In Germany scientists per year to discover in the cut, a previously unknown infectious disease. This has to do especially with the increasingly better diagnostics.
Why, they can spread disease quickly?
One reason why the diseases of today can be used to quickly spread, the growth of the world’s population and the rural Exodus. In a century the number of people that are now getting closer and closer together quadrupled. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, gigantic Slums, often without sewage system – a Paradise for pathogens. Also slaughterhouses spread of animal diseases, the skip to people.
There are no white stains more
The plague pathogen lived among rodents of the steppes of Central Asia since ancient times. Among the small groups of the steppe nomads, he triggered but no epidemics. As he attacked, however, the rats in the densely populated cities, the plague killed millions. Today, people can reach the farthest corners of the earth and come into contact with pathogens that infect animals and plants. Thus, the monkeys appeared with smallpox in Africa is only where the people cleared the forest.
Globalized Virus
Globalisation means that people from all over the world are active throughout the world, and with them the flow of goods. As stowaways viruses, bacteria and fungi with travel.
No risk, thanks to modern medicine?
So wrong panic is make, so it is wrong to weigh in, because modern medicine fights viruses and bacteria much better than the medicine in the middle ages. Microbes whole Nations can eradicate, not only in the case of medical Stupidity. The medicine of the Maya, the medicine of the Inca or the Aztecs was far developed but compared to the alien and unknown pathogens powerless. 90 percent of native Americans died of European diseases – one of the biggest disasters in the history of Homo Sapiens. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)