Geo210 Final Exam

Medical Geography

The analysis of health and disease through human environment relationships, the patterns of diseases and death over locations, and the spread of disease over time and space, and/or the migration of people and associated spread of disease.

Epidemiology

Term associated with Medical Geography that concerns with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases

Epidemic

A widespread occurrence of a disease in a community at a particular time -- an event in which a disease is actively spreading

Pandemic

Relates to geographic spread and is used to describe a disease occurring over a whole country or the entire world and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population

Bubonic Plague

Historical event concerning three eruptions that killed about 137 million

Black Death

14th century pandemic during the 14th century that killed around 20-25 million Europeans in six years.

Yersinia Pestis

Deadly disease that causes plagues

Spreading of a plague(s)

Bacteria carried from one person to the next by fleas on rats, on squirrels, and on various other wild rodents

Process of epidemic from fleas

They feed on an infected rat and soon become infectious. When the rat dies, they typically find a new host and thus distribute the disease in a rat population. Only when the number of rats becomes very low are they forced to seek a different host. This is how they jump to human hosts, leading to an epidemic

Asia

A prominent theory suggests the Plague started in this region

Hopei

Northeastern Chinese province that saw the epidemic killed 5,000,000 people or 90% of the population

Spread of Black Death plague

Through trade routes; first striking India, Syria, and Mesopotamia than reaching the Mediterranean and Western Europe

The Plague Today

Still around but to a lesser degree. 1994 in India was the last major epidemic on this specific case.

Smallpox

An extremely contagious and deadly virus for which there

is no known cure. Likely emerged in human populations about 10,000 BC

Arrival of smallpox into North America

Europeans brought this disease through germs, affecting dense, semi-urban populations.

Group most affected by smallpox

First Nations (Both NA and AUS & NZ). Some research suggests this was a deliberate attempt of germ warfare

Vaccine

A complex biologic made from living organisms.

Purpose of Vaccines

To prevent disease work by exposing the immune system to a tiny amount of pathogen (disease-causing organism) such as a virus, bacteria or parasite that has been damaged or killed so it cannot cause disease. It acquires immunity so that when your body encounters the real disease-causing agent it is ready to mount a defense.

WHO’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)

Established in 1976 to ensure that infants/children and mothers have access to routinely recommended infant/childhood vaccines

GAVI

An international organisation that brings together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries

Edward Jenner

Inventor of smallpox vaccine

Inoculation

the action of immunizing someone against a disease by introducing infective material, microorganisms, or vaccine into the body.

The Vaccination Act

Introduced in 1853 in England that mandates vaccination for infants up to 3 months old, and had penalties regarding vaccine refusal

Anti-Vaccination League

Groups and people resisting the vaccination act; later expanded West

The Leicester Demonstration March of 1885

Protest of 80,000-100,000 demonstrators against vaccination

1902 Public Health Act

Law in the U.S. mandating vaccination in Cambridge, Massachusetts

1926 Georgetown demonstration

1926 events where health officers arrived to vaccinate the townspeople and where met with opposers.

The Cutter Incident

1955. A lab in Berkeley produced 120,000 doses of Salk polio vaccine that inadvertently contained live polio virus, alongside the inactivated virus

DTP Vaccine Controversy

1974 Report from the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London alleging 36 children suffered neurological conditions following immunization for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Petussis (Whooping Cough)

Sweden’s Vaccination Moratorium

From 1979-1996, the suspended vaccination against whooping cough was implemented

Vaccination-Autism Controversy

In England, a doctor released a paper investigating the relationsjips between MMR Vaccine, Bowel Disease, and Autism

Elimination of measles

2000 in US

Green our vaccine movement

A campaign to remove Thimerosal preservative in vaccine that has mercury inside

2013-2015

The return of Measles in the US happened in this time

Virus

It knows no borders

Measles Outbreak

first half of 2019 saw more measles outbreaks for the first time since 2006

Ebola

The most feared virus concerning internal and external bleeding, discovered in 1976 in Africa

Arrival of Ebola in the US

2014 saw this virus arrive from a man travelling from West Africa

Origin of Ebola Vaccine

Ames, Iowa by NewLink

Ebola Outbreak

2019 mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zika Virus

Comes from mosquito bites

Zika Virus in Canada

Not likely bc it isn’t well suited in the country’s climate

Zika in the US

Happened in 2016

Symptoms of SARS

Coughing, headache, sore throat, etc.

2003 SARS Pandemic origin

Guangdong, China

SARS treatment

No vaccine yet nor an effective treatment

SARS in Canada

Yes. In Toronto one case

End of SARS

No cases since 2004, and last seen in Hospital in 2013 in Toronto

Benefits of SARS on Toronto Tourism

Benefit concert

West Nile Virus

From mosquite bites in which the bug was previously infected. Birds also can be reservoir hosts.

Origin of West Nile Virus

Uganda

Effects of West Nile Virus

Mostly fever

Most vulnerable populations

Older people and those with certain diseases

The 4 D’s (Drain, Dawn/Dusk, Dress, Deet)

Steps to avoid west nile virus.

Will a West Nile Outbreak happen in Ontario?

Yes according to “experts”

Lyme Disease cause

Deer Ticks

Vaccine for Lyme Disease

doesn’t exist

How animals are villains

Fiction, movie, and human interest

Bats

This animal saves corn farmers billions per year by reducing crop pests

Vultures

This animal aves millions in livestock carcass removal

Cougers

The recolonization of this animal in the U.S. over the next 30 years is projected to curtail deer-vehicle collisions by 22 percent and save $2.13B

Red Fox

The decline of this animal is linked to Lyme disease outbreaks

The most dangerous animal

Humans

Mosquito

Second most dangerous animal in the world. Due to the sheer amount of deaths each year attributed to the various pathogens carried by several of the more than 3,000 species around the world

Tsetse Fly

Third most dangerous animal in the world. Spread protozoan parasites, the causative agent of African Sleeping Sickness, associated with neurological symptoms, and death if untreated

Saltwater Crocodile

Fourth most dangerous animal in the world. Short-tempered, easily provoked, and aggressive towards anything, kill hundreds each year

Black Mamba

Fifth most dangerous animal in the world. The fastest of all snakes, bite repeatedly, delivering enough venom (a blend of neuro- and cardiotoxins) in a single bite to kill ten people

Putterfish/Blowfish

Sixth most dangerous animal in the world. The second most poisonous vertebrate on the planet (after the golden arrow dart frog), more dangerous as their neurotoxin, called tetrodoxin, is found in the fish’s skin, muscle tissue, liver, kidneys, and gonads, and is up to 1,200 times more poisonous than that of cyanide, eaten as Japanese fugu

Box Jellyfish

Seventh most dangerous animal in the world. The most venomous marine animal in the world, kill hundreds each year, stinging cells release toxins that simultaneously attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells

Golden Poison Dart Frog

Eighth most dangerous animal in the world. Its poison glands are located beneath its skin, batrachotoxin is so potent that there’s enough in one frog to kill ten people (two micrograms)

Cone Snail

Ninth most dangerous animal in the world. Concealed, harpoon like “teeth” contain a complex venom known as a conotoxin, causes paralysis within moments

Cape Buffalo

Tenth most dangerous animal in the world. Grow up to nearly six feet tall and weigh close to a ton, nickname: Black Death, responsible for killing more hunters in Africa than any other creature.

Fear of Sharks

Mainly caused by media reports and Hollywood movies

Shark Deaths

Overblown. Between 1990-2006, only 11 people were killed by this animal

Death from Hippos

More severe. Around 3,000 get killed by this animal on average every year

1. Great white shark

2. Whale shark

3. Scalloped hammerhead

4. Dusky shark

5. Basking shark

Endangered Species

Do Great White Sharks eat Humans?

Not really. Just bc the movies say they do, doesn’t mean it’s true. They aren’t even the preferred prey of this animal

Cause of Great White Shark extinction

Humans. Through overfishing and collisions with shipping vessels

Pitbulls

Cause of most deaths in that animal’s specific group

Winnipeg

First place in the country to ban pit bulls

Ontario

First state/province to ban pit bulls

Edmonton

by-law that vicious dogs like many from the pit bull family be muzzled in public

Fear of Wolves

The Saxons claim that January is the time this animal will likely devour people. Also Hollywood and Plays play a role even though there have been very little attacks relating to this animal

Eastern Canada Wolf Extermination Program

Bounties on this animals caused it to be rare and later extinct in this part of the world. Later spread to other provinces were many were killed. Government backed

Issue of Wolf Extermination Programs

As a scientist in the U.S. points out, the issue is not if the animal can adapt, but how people who lived without predators can adapt.

Trophic cascade

An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Keystone species

Is a plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. All species in an ecosystem, or habitat, rely on each other.

Chiroptophobia

Fear of bats

Hematophagy

The diet of vampire bats, whose food source is blood mainly from cows, pigs, horses, and birds

Rabies

Disease that can be spread by vampire bats

Arachnophobia

Fear of Spiders

Most dangerous Spider

Brazilian Wandering Spider

Necrotic

The venom from brown recluse spider

Grapes

How yellow sac spiders and black widow spiders come to Canada

No

Is the Venom of black widow spiders fatal?

Wolf spiders

Non-dangerous species found in Canada

Scorpions

Not as deadly as people think. Only 25 out of 1,500 species of this animal are lethal towards humans.

Arizona Bark Scorpion

The only one in that species group that is fatal towards humans in the US

Northern Scorpion

Only known species in Canada

Ophidiophobia

Fear of snakes