Infectious Diseases

Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and more have high concentrations of this disease as do countries in the South Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The disease Melioidosis aka Whitmore's disease is a bacterial illness caused by the bacteria burkholderia pseudomallei. It is endemic in these areas and the bacteria that cause Melioidosis are found in both soil and water, two things that people are easily exposed to every day there.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria in the leptospira group. While this bacterial disease can be found all over the world, including the United States, it is more often than not prevalent in tropical and temperate climates in areas of the world that are rural and stricken with poverty. Access to proper hygiene and protective measures are the reasons why it is not a commonly occurring disease in this country.

Affects Both Animals and Humans

Many people who get leptospirosis are exposed to the urine of infected animals, typically through a water source. A number of different animals carry the leptospira group of bacteria and some of them will never show signs of illness but others may. These bacteria are commonly found in farm animals such as horses, cattle, pigs and dogs. However, rodents and other wild animals may also have the disease.

If it is not mosquitoes then it is animals that are the culprit in many diseases that infect humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) labels fascioliasis as one of these diseases that you can get from animals. The disease is caused by a trematode organism usually called a fluke. Once considered a neglected disease by the WHO, fascioliasis is become more common in areas with unsanitary conditions around livestock like parts of Europe, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and more.

Once considered an animal disease, it has jumped to humans, typically through the fecal route. Vulnerable animals that likely harbor the fasciola hepatica and fasciola gigantica trematode flukes include domestic animals like sheep, donkeys, pigs, cattle and buffalo. Other animals that can carry this carrier of disease include goats, horses, llamas, rodents, rabbits and camels.

Roughly one billion people in over 75 countries are at risk for Elephantiasis, a serious disease which has the capacity to permanent disfigure and debilitate. Also known by the name lymphatic filariasis, Elephantiasis shows up primarily in rural or poverty stricken areas in India, Africa, Southeast Asia, islands in the Pacific and even Central and South America. This disease thrives in sub-tropical and tropical areas where mosquitoes thrive.

Taking a cue from one of the largest animals on the planet, Elephantiasis causes serious swelling issues in the breasts, genitals, arms and legs primarily. There is also damage to the lymphatic system as well as the kidneys.

Cause and Transmission of Elephantiasis

The safest places to travel to avoid malaria are typically the United States, Canada and Western Europe. Because there are so many places in the world to see however, malaria can be a problem in many other countries, especially if you find yourself in rural or country areas in these countries. Africa, by far, is the continent with the highest incidence of malaria. Several children die each minute in Africa from malaria.

While Africa has the highest occurrence of this disease, you can also expect to find malaria in the Middle Eastern countries in Asia, India, Eastern Europe, the large rural areas of South and Central America, the islands of Central America like the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and countries in the South Pacific area.

Assessing your Malaria Risk