In the past century or so, humans have made great strides in the treatment and prevention of disease.
And insecticide scaled back mosquito-borne illnesses.
Despite these successes, some diseases appear to be making a comeback.
Zave Smith / Getty Images
Outbreaks ofmeaslesandmumpshave made more than a few headlines of late, for example.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases.
That’s because no vaccine is 100% effective.
Waning or Insufficient Immunity
Measles isn’t the only vaccine-preventable disease seeing a resurgence.
Many of the individuals involved in recentoutbreaks of mumpsand pertussis have been at least partially vaccinated.
Does that mean that the vaccine doesn’t work?
It’s a powerful tool, but it’s not like flipping a switch.
Drug Resistance
Antibiotics used to be a magic bullet to cure a wide range of diseases.
Tuberculosis, for example, used to kill roughlyoneout of every seven people who got it.
Effective treatment is available, however; it is when treatment is not available that TB can be fatal.
And it’s not the only one.
Bacteria that cause illness can be thought of as being “bad” bacteria.
Most of these bad bacteria will respond to antibiotics but some may be resistant.
You also have “good” bacteria that help protect your body from the bad types.
Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria, but only the bad ones that respond to antibiotics.
The resistant ones are left behind.
Climate Change
Perhaps the largest resurgence of disease is yet to come.
Scientists are cautioning that a warmer, wetter planet will lead to a resurgence of a number of diseases.
Flickers of that are already starting to appear.
The significance of this success shouldn’t be overlooked.
U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Measles history.
Texas Department of State Health Services.Vaccination coverage levels in Texas schools.
World Health Organization.Climate and Health country profiles - 2015: A Global Overview.
albopictus.Elife.2015;4:e08347.
doi:10.7554/eLife.08347
Constantin de magny G, Colwell RR.Cholera and climate: a demonstrated relationship.
Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc.2009;120:119-28.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Antimicrobial Resistance.
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Measles History.
