(ORDO NEWS) — Cholera, scurvy, leprosy and even the “black death” plague still claim the lives of hundreds and even thousands of people.
Many of these diseases, which once claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, seem to us forever defeated – but, unfortunately, this is not so.
And it is still important to follow the rules of prevention and know the first symptoms with which you need to urgently seek help – so as not to add to the list of new victims. Because sometimes they come back.
Measles
Thanks to mass vaccinations, this dangerous contagious disease was almost completely defeated in the second half of the last century.
However, due to the dangerous fashion of not vaccinating, measles has returned – and still affects children and adults alike. Among the dangerous complications of measles are deafness, brain damage, and death.
Plague
Yes, yes, the same Black Death that swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing approximately 25 million people.
Every year, up to a hundred cases of bubonic or septic plague are recorded in the world, which is transmitted through flea bites, contact with infected rodents or dead animals.
The first signs of the disease are fever, weakness, painful and swollen lymph nodes. With early treatment, the plague is successfully treated, but if you delay in contacting a doctor, the probability of death rises to 60%.
Whooping cough
Often this disease begins like a common cold, but after 7-10 days a strong cough appears, sometimes accompanied by vomiting and even fainting.
This is a very dangerous disease that can lead to death. It occurs in both children and adults, but at particular risk – an infant under two months old (who are still too young to be vaccinated), children who for some reason did not receive a whooping cough vaccine, as well as adults who missed vaccination (vaccination should be renewed after 14 years of age every decade).
Yellow fever
The symptoms of this disease, transmitted by infected mosquitoes, resemble the flu, but if not dealt with in time, extremely high fever, internal bleeding, convulsions, organ failure and death develop.
Outbreaks of the disease still occur in Africa and Asia, and residents of other countries may also suffer due to mass foreign tourism. Be sure to get your yellow fever vaccination when traveling to countries where there have been outbreaks of the disease!
“Piggy”
The “childhood” mumps (or “mumps”) disease is also still dangerous: the symptoms resemble a strong flu, as well as painful swelling of the salivary glands, and complications include meningitis, encephalitis, hearing loss, and possible pregnancy loss.
Leprosy
Now this disease is known as Hansen’s disease and several hundred new cases of the disease are recorded annually.
It is a bacterial infection that affects the skin, peripheral nerves, upper respiratory tract, eyes, and nasal mucosa. If left untreated, the disease can lead to disfigurement, nerve damage, paralysis of the arms and legs, and blindness.
Fortunately, the disease responds well to therapy, and patients cease to be carriers of infection after only a few doses of the drug. More good news: the vast majority of people have an innate immunity to leprosy.
Scurvy
The disease of sailors and convicts, which is caused by a serious deficiency of vitamin C, unfortunately, is still relevant for some groups of the population.
Those who do not have the opportunity to receive sufficient and varied food, whose immunity is weakened due to constant illness and hard work, may encounter this disease.
Fortunately, she is recovering well. Unfortunately, it is often misdiagnosed as many doctors simply cannot believe that scurvy is still relevant in the 21st century.
Cholera
This disease is still very relevant for residents of countries and areas with poor sanitation and water treatment.
Infection occurs through ingestion of food or water contaminated with fecal bacteria. As a result, diarrhea develops, so severe that death can occur within a few hours.
The disease can be treated with oral rehydration saline and intravenous fluids, and an oral vaccine is also available.
Over the past decade, there have been outbreaks in Zimbabwe, Haiti and Cuba, and the biggest recent cholera crisis was in Yemen in 2017, during which one million people were infected.
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