Infectious Diseases

The virus which causes Marburg hemorrhagic fever is related to the Ebola virus and originates in Uganda and Eastern Congo. It is suspected that Egyptian fruit bats are the source of Marburg hemorrhagic fever; but studies are still being conducted to confirm the suspicion. There was an outbreak of marburg hemorrhagic fever in Angola in 2005 to which cave-dwelling African fruit bats in Gabon were found to have the virus. Ebola genes were also found in fruit bats in 2005.

Symptoms of Marburg

The symptoms of Marburg hemorrhagic fever are very similar to other tropical diseases such as malaria and typhoid, which makes diagnosing it difficult. Early symptoms (after a 3 - 9 day incubation period) are non-specific and may include fever, headache and muscle pain.

The Ebola virus (Filoviridae Family) has four subtypes Côte d'Ivoire, Sudan, Reston, and Zaïre. The Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) that results from the Ebola virus infection causes death in 50% to 90% of those who are unlucky enough to come down with it.

How It Is Transmitted

A person can become infected with the ebola virus by coming in direct contact with the blood or fluid secretions of a person who has Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever. It can also be transmitted by receiving an organ donation from a person who had the disease. An unfortunate transmission also occurs when mourners come into direct contact with the body of a deceased Ebola victim and the disease is passed on to those who mourn when they touch the deceased body.

There have also been documented cases of animal to human transmission of the disease from cynomolgus monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas and also forest antelope.

Lassa viral haemorrhagic fever occurs in West Africa and is an acute illness that can last anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks. The disease has been known since the 50's but was not identified until 1969. The virus that causes Lassa fever is a single-stranded RNA virus. Other areas have been known to have active cases of the disease including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and certain parts of Nigeria. There may be cases not reported in other West African countries.

Symptoms of Lassa Fever

Most of the cases of Lassa fever go asymptomatic with the about 20% having severe multi-system symptoms including involvement of the spleen, and kidneys. Incubation period for Lassa fever is from 6 to 21 days. The disease if symptoms are to show will start out gradual with a fever and general weakness and malaise.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by various mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is also or formerly known as Consumption, Gibbus of the Spine and Joints, King's Evil, Lupus Vulgaris, Phthisis (Greek for consumption), Phthisis Pulmonalis, Pott's Disease, Scrofula, Tabes Mesenterica, TB of the Abdomen, TB of the Skin, Wasting Disease, and White Plague.

Tuberculosis was called:

-Consumption because it seemed to consume people from within.
-White Plague because sufferers appear markedly pale.
-King's Evil because it was believed that a king's touch would heal the disease.

Tuberculosis most commonly attacks the lungs, but it can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, and the genitourinary system, as well as the bones, joints and even the skin.

Schistosomiasis, also known as Bilharzia, Bilharziosis, Katayama's Fever, Snail Fever, and Swimmer's Itch, is a disease caused by several species of parasitic flatworm (called Schistosome).

The disease primarily affects people Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and east Asia.
It is estimated that approximately 200 million people are currently infected with the disease world wide, but only 120 million of these show any symptoms.

Schistosomiasis Symptoms

The symptoms of Schistosomiasis can be very debilitating and include:

• Abdominal pain
• Central nervous system lesions
• Colonic polyposis with bloody diarrhea
• Cough
• Cystitis
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Hypertension
• Intestinal damage
• Liver enlargement / damage
• Spleen enlargement
• Ureteritis, which can progress to bladder cancer

Cause and Transmission