Environmental and Global Health Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental and Global Health Issues - Essay Example Although the outbreak ended in 2003, the reoccurrence of the infection is possible because it is a cross species exposure that creates the introduction into the human population and there is little that can be done to fully protect against a new outbreak. Through protocols that provide for rapid information, reporting the illness and preventing its spread can now contribute to protecting the population. The following paper analyses the initial outbreak in 2002 and its spread throughout the world and then explores appropriate protocols for reporting a discovery of the illness within the community. In addition, information on addressing poor air quality environments for respiratory patients is explored to further the examination of influences on respiratory through poor air quality and the modification of treatment during these periods of time. Analysis The Outbreak The origin of the introduction of the illness into the human population was likely from a bat that interacted with an int ermediary animal that was then sold in a Chinese food market. The virus is found in the Himalayan palm civet and the raccoon dog which are suspected to get the virus from bats, both having been present at the market that was the origin of the virus and might have either one been responsible for the outbreak into the human population (Shetty, Tang, & Andrews, 2009). The first documented case of the illness occurred in the Guangdong province of China. The illness was identified as coming from a unique Coronavirus that was identified as the etiological origin of the disease that could travel between humans through contact at an efficient rate. A doctor who had been treating patients in the province traveled to Hong Kong and began the outbreak from exposing to the virus those he encountered in the city and at a social gathering. Those he encountered spread the illness into other regions of Hong Kong, Vietnam, Canada and Singapore (see Figure 1). This spread of the illness brought it int o the notice of the global community which provided for action that contained the illness within four months of the initial outbreak. (M’ikanatha, 2007). Figure 1 Spread of the SARS Virus from Hong Kong (M’ikanatha, 2007, p. 512) The Epidemiology SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome developed in 2002 in Hong Kong with the disease spreading worldwide causing 916 deaths and over 8,000 known cases. The cause of the outbreak was the Coronavirus which is found in avian and mammal populations and is important for some species, but can cause respiratory tract infections in a variety of more domesticated species, including humans (M'ikanatha, 2007). The illness ran its course from the winter of 2002 until the last reported case in June of 2003. Overall fatality was averaged at about 10.9%, with only 1% occurring in those under 24 and 6% for over the age of 25. It was worse for those over the age of 44 with a 15% rate of fatality and a 50% rate of fatality for those over t he age of 65 (World Health Organization (WHO), 2012). M’ikanatha (2007) describes the following factors as unique aspects of the SARS virus: the agent of the disease was novel, the transmission mode of the virus and how to prevent the spread was unknown, the World Health Organization issued a rare global alert, it created population fears that were unique to the time, healthcare workers were the most frequent victims and the