Plague Resurfaces: Cause for Concern?
In the ever-evolving world of global health, the re-emergence of diseases once thought eradicated or eliminated is a concerning trend. On average, one to two significant infectious disease emergences or re-emergences occur annually [2]. This phenomenon is not rare and poses a threat at both global and regional levels.
A key factor enabling these comebacks is declining vaccination coverage. For instance, measles and polio—previously considered eliminated in many areas—are making a resurgence in the US and elsewhere as vaccination rates drop. If vaccination coverage halves, millions of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from measles could occur over a couple of decades [1][3][4].
Diseases are not truly eradicated worldwide but often persist in small pockets or reservoirs, allowing them to return to areas where they had disappeared. Re-emergence is therefore frequently a matter of regional dynamics, such as cholera returning after decades in some locations or plague causing isolated outbreaks, despite centuries of control [2].
In the UK, reduced vaccination availability or uptake is driving the resurgence of diseases like measles. On the other side of the globe, a person has died from pneumonic plague, a disease responsible for the Black Death in the 14th century, in Arizona [5].
Despite these risks, widespread vaccination campaigns remain the most effective method to prevent the resurgence of these diseases. Maintaining high vaccination coverage and robust public health infrastructure is essential to prevent re-establishment of eliminated diseases [1][2][3][4][5].
Climate change is also contributing to the spread of infectious diseases, causing them to appear in areas where they have not been seen before. For example, dengue fever has been reported along the Mediterranean coast in Europe [6].
Moreover, medical tourism for cheaper plastic surgery or dental reconstruction surgery can contribute to the spread of highly resistant organisms. Antibiotic-resistant organisms, often associated with overseas travel, pose a significant threat [7].
The US is currently experiencing its largest measles outbreak in two decades, with over 1,300 confirmed cases [8]. Cholera remains a major concern in some parts of the world, particularly Ukraine and Gaza [9].
It is unlikely to eradicate most infections due to their global spread and difficulty in diagnosing them. However, antibiotics are available for treating plague infections, and there is currently a shortage of the cholera vaccine due to production efforts shifting to COVID-19 and pandemic-related disruptions [5].
Conflict, environmental collapse, and economic collapse can lead to closer contact with animals, increasing the risk of diseases spreading. This was evident in Madagascar, where a collapse of society led to the spread of plague [10].
Smallpox is the only disease that has been eradicated from the planet. However, diseases can return through evolution of the virus, such as with influenza and COVID mutations. Another big influenza pandemic, like the Spanish Flu in 1917, could cause significant fatalities [11].
In summary, maintaining high vaccination coverage and robust public health infrastructure is crucial in preventing the re-emergence of eliminated diseases. Climate change, medical tourism, and other factors contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and investment in global health initiatives.
- The resurgence of diseases like measles and polio is linked to declining vaccination coverage, a concern that extends to multiple regions worldwide.
- Vaccination rates dropping have led to the reappearance of once eradicated or eliminated diseases, such as measles and polio, even in areas previously declared free of these illnesses.
- Cholera and plague are examples of diseases that have persisted in small pockets, allowing them to reemerge in areas where they had vanished.
- Reduced vaccination availability or uptake in the UK is driving the return of diseases like measles, while a case of pneumonic plague, a disease linked to the Black Death, has been reported in Arizona.
- To prevent the resurgence of diseases, widespread vaccination campaigns and maintaining high vaccination coverage are essential, together with a robust public health infrastructure.
- Climate change also poses a threat as it causes infectious diseases to spread to regions where they were previously unknown, like dengue fever appearing along the Mediterranean coast in Europe.
- Medical tourism can contribute to the spread of highly resistant organisms, such as antibiotic-resistant organisms often associated with overseas travel.
- The emergence of new medical-conditions, chronic diseases, and the evolution of existing ones, such as influenza and COVID mutations, pose ongoing challenges for health-and-wellness, mental-health, and the environment, underscoring the importance of continuous medical research, science, and investment in health-and-wellness, mental-health, and environmental conservation.
