Infectious Disease

1. Infectious Diseases
What should we fear most, nature or an attack?

2. Andrew Shores
Infectious Disease is the topic I chose because, I want to become a
surgical nurse. My favorite course so far was microbiology. The
thought, that something I can’t see can potentially kill me and
millions more was fascinating. In a world where we fear what we see,
like crime, war, terrorist; these viruses, and bacteria can wipe out
more of us than any one bomb or plane can.

3. Before We Began
As I said before, the topic was fascinating. Watching the TV show
House, informed me on a lot of diseases and symptoms that come
from the variety of bacteria and viruses. I thought they were
something to fear, but also was never really worried, because
what are the odds of getting something that could kill you?
Medicine has improved so much, that I felt doctors are real life
hero's, just like police officers and firefighters.

4. The Issue
Infectious disease comprise clinically evident illness
resulting from the infection, presence and growth of
pathogenic biological agents in an individual host
organism. These can be
viruses, toxins, carcinogens, fungus, pollution, bacteria,
germs, and parasites. Like most major issues being
discussed, this is a global problem. It is worse in poorer
countries that do not have the medical advances like we
do, but is still a problem even in America.

5. The Issue Cont.
The battle going on is whether infectious disease is more important
to defend against than bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is the intentional
release of biological agents; such as viruses, bacteria, etc.

6. Assumptions
I assumed that infectious disease was not a real problem in our
world today. I feared a bioterrorist attack more than getting some
disease that could kill me. I had heard of some diseases, and cases
where the disease killed millions, but in the world I am living in
today, I assumed those diseases could now be taken care of fast, if I
ever did get one.

7. Reasons
• Infectious Diseases is a threat to the world
• If not taken care of millions could die in a pandemic
• The flu is an all year problem
• Yearly the flu kills thousands
• We have created antibiotic resistant “superbugs”
• The last bioterrorist attack against America was back in 2001
• Poorer countries do not have surveillance systems (labs) to detect
and fight infectious disease

8. Evidence
• About 40 million died in the 1918 pandemic which was influenza
• “Flu kills around thirty-six thousand people every year, so deaths
in the tens of thousands occur each year with certainty—that is,
with a probability of one. Another group of particularly deadly
disease agents, the feared hospital-borne multiple drug-resistant
(MDR) bacteria, kill tens of thousands every year, again a
certainty”-Lynn C. Klotz

9. Evidence Cont.
• Infectious diseases spread through
livestock, insects, food, and humans
• In 1920 cholera was spread in Peru by crew
members, and by the end of the year over
400,000 infections happened resulting in
4,000 deaths. Also in 2000, international
athletes got a disease that is in rodents and
transmitted through contaminated water,
when they returned home 29 of the 109
athletes became ill and had to be
hospitalized

10. Evidence Cont.
• Disease can be deliberately caused; outbreaks occur more often in
countries without surveillance systems

11. Arguments
• Infectious diseases claim 16.2 percent of all deaths each year
(global)
• Bioterrorism death is so low, and so unlikely, that there is no
number. The best way to get an idea is to search for “the number
of people that die from terrorist attacks each year”. In 2012, only
15,500 were killed in a terrorist attack.
• Biological weapons are forbidden. That is why they are rarely seen
and used. Syria did use them recently, but when was the last time
you heard of them before that?

12. Arguments Cont.
• Different diseases kill thousands each year, and those thousands
combined makes millions. America, and other advanced countries
who have the resources, need to help the poorer countries
establish labs to research and fight infectious diseases.
• Only then, can the world have the resources to defend against a
bioterrorist attack.

13. The Opposition
• The best and really only counter argument comes from terrorist
attacks in general.
• Bioterrorism is a terrorist attack
• Terrorist are a threat not only to the United States which we saw
in 2001, but also in places like Israel, England, and many others.
• They like infectious diseases can happen anywhere.

14. The Weakness Of The Opposition
• Bioterrorism and even terrorist attacks are not even in the top ten
of leading deaths across the world.
• Most deaths in the top ten are infectious diseases, so why should
we fear terrorist when the real enemy is the one we can not see?

15. Sources
• Lynn C. Klotz is a biotech consultant
• Edward J. Sylvester is a science journalist
• Dr. Hugh Auchincloss is the NIAID Principal Deputy Director. He
oversees clinical, and applied research, as well as product
development for biodefense, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases, and
immune-mediated disorders
• Nick Drager is a senior adviser to the Department of
Ethics, Trade, Human Rights, and the Health of the World Health
Organization
• David L. Heymann is acting assistant director-general for
communicable diseases at the World Health Organization and the
representative of the director-general for both pandemic
influenza and polio eradication

16. Conclusion
• Infectious diseases is a global threat
• A pandemic will kill millions around the world if the poorer
countries are not protected
• Bioterrorism should not get most of the money and resources since
the odds of it happening anytime soon are slim
• America needs to think towards the future of the human race, not
just itself; we can be the leaders that help stop infectious disease

17. Recommendations
• The government needs to give for money to labs searching for
cures and vaccines against infectious disease
• The world needs to find a way to stop “superbugs” before the
pandemic happens involving them
• We need to send money and resources over seas to the countries
that are more vulnerable to infectious disease