How Does Disease Move? Crash Course Geography #34

TL;DR

Disease patterns in the modern world are influenced by factors such as globalization, environmental changes, and access to healthcare.

Transcript

in 2014 a disease that was no longer common in the united states resurfaced with a vengeance people suddenly began running high fevers and developing rashes and in some communities people became so sick they had to be hospitalized throughout 2015 other outbreaks would pop up and each time healthcare officials would leap into action trying to identi... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🏭 Disease patterns can be influenced by factors such as travel, globalization, and different approaches to healthcare.
• 😷 Medical geographers play a vital role in studying disease distribution, predicting disease spread, and assisting in disease response measures.
• 👨‍🔬 Disease outbreaks can be caused by both communicable and non-communicable diseases, highlighting the need for comprehensive research and analysis.
• 😷 Spatial skills and mapping are important tools for medical geographers in identifying disease patterns and origins.
• 💦 Environmental factors, such as water contamination, can contribute to the spread of diseases like cholera.
• ☠️ Disease outbreaks can have significant morbidity and mortality rates, impacting communities and healthcare systems.
• 😷 Access to healthcare and socio-economic factors can influence disease spread and the ability to receive appropriate medical care.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did measles spread in the U.S in 2014?

Measles initially spread in pockets in large cities where people who had traveled abroad were mixing with the population. It later surged in cases across the U.S and around the world.

Q: What is the difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases?

Communicable diseases are spread from a pathogen or organism to a host, while non-communicable diseases are caused by genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.

Q: How do medical geographers help with disease response?

Medical geographers utilize spatial skills and an understanding of the environment and society to identify disease patterns, assist in research, work with public health agencies, and help make communities healthier.

Q: How did medical geographers trace the origin of the cholera outbreak in Haiti?

Through the use of maps, medical geographers established that improper disposal of human waste by UN troops sent to help with earthquake recovery introduced the bacteria causing cholera to Haiti through the water from the Artibonite River.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Disease resurfaced in the United States in 2014, with measles outbreaks occurring in different communities, highlighting the need for disease response measures.

• Disease can be communicable, spread person to person, or non-communicable, caused by genetics, environment, and behavior.

• Medical geographers play a crucial role in identifying disease patterns, studying how environment and society connect to create conditions for disease manifestation.