Due to globalization, the next epidemic will wipe out half the world's population.
Map of the Geographic Distribution of Emerging Infectious Diseases from 1946-2006
According to the Global Health Education Consortium, globalization has had a major impact on the reemergence of infectious diseases. These diseases reemerge in many different ways and could lead to the demise of half of the world's population. Change in the climate of a region can better suit the development of a disease by providing a better environment for it to grow and multiply. The mobility of human populations can spread these diseases through relocation diffusion. Infectious diseases are used in bioterrorism which is the use of diseases as a weapon in acts of terrorism. One of the major ways that infectious diseases spread is the passing of diseases from animals to human. In my opinion, diseases that are passed from animals to humans are more likely to be fatal to humans because we are less likely to have resistance to these diseases. Infectious diseases also spread to LDCs because of a lack of sanitation, medical technology such as vaccines and antibiotics, and sufficient and modern sewage systems. Also the little percentage in hand sanitizers and antiseptics that doesn't kill the germs when these antimicrobials are used multiply and become resistant to the antimicrobials over time.High concentrations of people make it easy for diseases to spread because of close proximity with other people living in the same area. Infectious diseases spread through trade, transportation, and migration because these factors make it easier for the disease to spread from place to place. Generally, the higher the rates of these three factors, the higher the rate of a disease spreading. I think that if an infectious disease were to break out in New York City, half of the world's population would be wiped out in less than a week because of the high rates of transportation, migration, and trade and the amount of connections and interactions that are made internationally.
After mapping humans' intricate social networks, Nicholas Christakis and colleague James Fowler began investigating how this information could better our lives. Now, he reveals his hot-off-the-press findings: These networks can be used to detect epidemics earlier than ever, from the spread of innovative ideas to risky behaviors to viruses (like H1N1). ("ted.com")
Accepting the 2006 TED Prize, Dr. Larry Brilliant talks about how smallpox was eradicated from the planet, and calls for a new global system that can identify and contain pandemics before they spread. ("ted.com")
Why I chose this topic and what I found most interesting about this topic?
I chose this topic because it was interesting to me and we didn't talk about it as much as the demographic transition model. I like the stage five or the stage that's yet to come. I'm curious to see about what is being done to prevent this reemergence of infectious diseases. When I read about the epidemiological transition model in the textbook, I was fascinated by it and was curious to find out how fast an infectious disease could wipe out the world's population. I found that there is now true answer to this question yet, but scientists and epidemiologists are taking steps to predict what could happen. Personally, I hope that this never happens because it would be a very scary thing. I found that the different factors that were provided in the presentation for Yale medical students were very interesting. The scariest factor was bioterrorism. It's scary to think that someone or a group of people would use diseases as a weapon. Hopefully bioterrorism comes to a stop so that no one releases an infectious disease that turns into an epidemic which would kill many, many people. This topic is very interesting and I think that more people should learn about it.
I chose this topic because it was interesting to me and we didn't talk about it as much as the demographic transition model. I like the stage five or the stage that's yet to come. I'm curious to see about what is being done to prevent this reemergence of infectious diseases. When I read about the epidemiological transition model in the textbook, I was fascinated by it and was curious to find out how fast an infectious disease could wipe out the world's population. I found that there is now true answer to this question yet, but scientists and epidemiologists are taking steps to predict what could happen. Personally, I hope that this never happens because it would be a very scary thing. I found that the different factors that were provided in the presentation for Yale medical students were very interesting. The scariest factor was bioterrorism. It's scary to think that someone or a group of people would use diseases as a weapon. Hopefully bioterrorism comes to a stop so that no one releases an infectious disease that turns into an epidemic which would kill many, many people. This topic is very interesting and I think that more people should learn about it.
Connection to AP Human Geography
This topic comes right out of the AP human Geography textbook. This is stage five of the epidemiological transition model. This topic ties in with chapter two which is population. The epidemiological transition model and the demographic transition model go hand in hand. The epidemiological transition model is distinctive causes in each stage of the demographic transition. (An Introduction to Human Geography) The demographic transition model is the process of change in a society's population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population. (An Introduction to Human Geography)
This topic comes right out of the AP human Geography textbook. This is stage five of the epidemiological transition model. This topic ties in with chapter two which is population. The epidemiological transition model and the demographic transition model go hand in hand. The epidemiological transition model is distinctive causes in each stage of the demographic transition. (An Introduction to Human Geography) The demographic transition model is the process of change in a society's population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population. (An Introduction to Human Geography)
Work Cited
Christakis, Nicholas. "How Social Networks Predict Epidemics." TED. TED Conferences, LLC, June 2010. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics>.
Brilliant, Larry. "My Wish: Help Me Stop Pandemics." TED. TED Conferences, LLC, Feb. 2006. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_wants_to_stop_pandemics>.
Barry, Michele, and Joseph Becker. "Emerging and Reemerging Viral Infectious Diseases." Emerging and Reemerging Viral Infectious Diseases (2009): 1-73. Consortium of Universities for Global Health. 2014CUGH, Jan. 2009. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.easybib.com/journal-article-citation/from-pubonline>.
Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
Christakis, Nicholas. "How Social Networks Predict Epidemics." TED. TED Conferences, LLC, June 2010. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics>.
Brilliant, Larry. "My Wish: Help Me Stop Pandemics." TED. TED Conferences, LLC, Feb. 2006. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_wants_to_stop_pandemics>.
Barry, Michele, and Joseph Becker. "Emerging and Reemerging Viral Infectious Diseases." Emerging and Reemerging Viral Infectious Diseases (2009): 1-73. Consortium of Universities for Global Health. 2014CUGH, Jan. 2009. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.easybib.com/journal-article-citation/from-pubonline>.
Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.