In 2014, three more ailments have managed to join the once unknown diseases of Ebola, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infection, the West Nile virus, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS); in grabbing the Western world’s attention.
Respiratory Enterovirus (EV-D68)
According to the CDC, a respiratory illness targeting children, and known in scientific circles as EV-D68, has spread across America in less than a month. It starts out like a typical cold but within hours can require hospitalization. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of late September 2014,
“a total of 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia have been confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68”
Only one adult case has been confirmed.
The first known case appeared in California in 1962. But, the number of cases and severity in 2014 is unprecedented. Until this year there were fewer than 100 reported cases.
And on September 26, the CDC issued an official CDC Health Advisory about a possible related neurological condition.
The CDC is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health to determine whether muscle weakness, paralysis, and other neurological symptoms may be somewhat delayed and uncommon complications of EV-D68. So far, nine children in Denver have been affected.
Read one of the CDC postings on it here
Read one of the World Health Organization (WHO) postings on it here
Read the official CDC Health Advisory here
Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a mosquito borne condition similar to dengue, another disease spread by mosquitoes. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.
From 2006‒2013, an average of 28 people per year in the United States tested positively for recent Chikungunya virus infection, said the CDC. But, as of September 23 2014, the number of American cases dramatically increased to 1,125.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has also spread to Europe.
Read one of the CDC postings here
Read one of the WHO postings here
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
MERS was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. In May 2014, the first two cases were confirmed in the United States. Both people had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.
Cases have been reported in other Middle Eastern countries and cropped up in travelers returning to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Read one of the WHO postings here
