Initial Post Instructions
Some diseases are known as anatomical syndromes because they have similar signs and symptoms despite having different causative agents. A few examples include impetigo, cellulitis, neonatal conjunctivitis, keratitis, meningitis, acute and subacute encephalitis, and sepsis. For the discussion this week, select two pathogens that cause one of these anatomical syndromes and then discuss
- signs and symptoms of the disease,
- the virulence factors of each of the two pathogens, and
- a possible explanation for why two different pathogens cause the same disease.
or
Mosquitos are biological vectors for many diseases, including West Nile virus, malaria, and yellow fever. Some scientists have advocated for the elimination of mosquitos to prevent the transmission of these diseases. Write a discussion either in support of or against eliminating mosquitos.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer or the instructor. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Here are some ideas for follow-up posts:
- Respond to a peer and describe another pathogen that causes the same anatomical syndrome. Be sure to choose a pathogen that they did not describe. What virulence factors does this pathogen have? Explain why you agree or disagree with your peer’s explanation about why different pathogens cause the same disease.
- Respond to a peer who has argued for or against eliminating mosquitos and argue the opposite. For example, if they advocated for eliminating mosquitos, then argue against eliminating mosquitos.
- Microorganisms such as COVID-19, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes infect different body systems. Select an infectious pathogen and discuss the signs and symptoms that appear in two different body systems. Suggest a possible mechanism for how the pathogen can infect different body systems.
Writing Requirements
- Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial and 1 follow-up)
- Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings OR Concepts/edapt and an outside scholarly source)
- APA format for in-text citations and list of references
PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS POST!!!!
Discussion on the Need for Mosquitoes Elimination:
A strong support for the eradication of mosquitoes is based on the expected health dividends that such activities would result. Mosquitoes remain the most important vectors for diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, Chikungunya, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. These diseases are major contributors to mortality and morbidity in several populations around the world especially in tropical and subtropical countries.
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Diminution of Disease Pervasiveness: As recent studies show, malaria is, for instance, responsible for close to a million deaths each year with its heavy toll on the health and economy of affected countries (World Health Organization, 2022). By inducing the extinction of specific species of mosquitoes, most notably, the Anopheles species (malaria vector) and Aedes species (vectors of Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya), the occurrence and even probably the very existence of these diseases could be suppressed or entirely prevented (Shapiro et al., 2020).
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Development of Genetic Technology Based Mosquitoes Control Measures: CRISPR based gene drives are a modern genetic technology which provides an efficient way for control and elimination of mosquitoes in a population targeting specific species due to their advantage of more direct and less ecologically disruptive methods (Scudellari, 2019). This method would make an end to certain populations of mosquitoes while at the same time preventing tremendous destruction to ecosystems.
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Public Health Savings: Societies would incur lower expenditures on treating diseases caused by mosquitoes. Additionally, nations would optimally gain economically and productively due to healthier individuals since there are less people who would afford such diseases and would therefore have long spells of ill health (Sinka et al., 2020).
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Environmental Considerations: Although there is controversy and debate about the consequence of removing mosquitoes in the environment, it is possible that other insects would fill the spaces that mosquitoes leave without reducing biodiversity or ecological functions considerably (Carballar-Lejarazú & James, 2020). This is especially the case for urban populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which do well in artificial environments because they are not important components of natural ecosystems.
All in all, targeting and eliminating certain species of mosquitoes will make the improvement of public health meaningful. The opportunity to effectively reduce the burden of the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes would make life better for millions of people, especially those residing in areas with a high prevalence of these diseases.
References:
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Carballar-Lejarazú, R., & James, A. A. (2020). Impact of gene drive release on the iotic environment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(25), 14081-14087.
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Scudellari, M. (2019). Self-destructing mosquitoes and sterilized rodents: The promise of gene drives. Nature, 571(7764), 160-162.
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Shapiro L. L. M., Whitehead S. A., & Thomas M. B. (2020). Quantifying the effects of temperature on the biological traits of mosquitoes and their parasite that are important for malaria transmission to humans. PLoS Biology, 18(10), e3000797.
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Sinka, M. E., Bangs, M. J., Manguin, S., Coetzee, M., & Mbogo C. M. (2020). Pattern of malaria transmission and control. World malaria report. Geneva: World Health Organization.