 |
  
|
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | ||||||||||||||||
ZoonosesBy Gary Bell August 5, 2009 Confused? I had not heard of that word either, until I did a little research for this blog about animal-to-human disease transmission. Zoonoses are emerging infectious diseases that have transferred to humans from animal hosts. I embarked on this research after learning of the discovery of a new HIV strain thought to have originated from gorillas native to Cameroon. This makes the fourth documented strain of HIV: strain "M, the most common and "N," "O" and now "P." The latter three seem to manifest themselves primarily from the Cameroon region. With so much evidence available that HIV is a Zoonose; i.e., that it originated from an animal host, in this case, chimpanzees, then why do so many people still believe that the HIV epidemic is a government conspiracy or some equally paranoid theory? In fact, most of the temperate diseases (found in temperate or tropical climates) such as measles, mumps, rubella, smallpox, influenza A and tuberculosis, are believed to have come from domestic animals. Moreover, most of the major infectious diseases also originated in animals: West Nile, Mad Cow, Cholera, Syphilis, Malaria, Ebola, Lyme Disease, Hantavirus, SARS, Swine Flu. Clearly, we need a little science lesson. It's time to jettison the conspiracy theories and understand that WE -- our behavior, our ignorance, our intolerance and our apathy pose our greatest risk for HIV infection, not a government test tube! To contact Gary, click here.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.) |
BLOG:
Transition to Hope This year marks Bell's 14th as the executive director of the Philadelphia-based BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health), founded in 1985 as the nation's first AIDS organization serving African Americans with HIV. Bell has been widely praised, not only for increasing funding and accountability at a time when HIV donations have plummeted, but also for launching such innovative programs as a women's initiative, prison-discharge planning, and, most recently, a diabetes intervention. More About Gary: Profile Subscribe to Gary's Blog:
Recent Posts:
February 1, 2013 - The Opioid Solution and HIV: From the Frying Pan Into the Fire -- A Blog Entry by Dave R.
December 24, 2012 - Compulsory Sexual Education: A Blog Entry by Gary Bell December 3, 2012 - World AIDS Day 2012 -- A Blog Entry by Gary Bell November 13, 2012 - Preventing HIV Transmission With Youth Infected at Birth: A Blog Entry by Gary Bell June 19, 2012 - Chagas Disease: A New Health Disparity -- A Blog Entry by Gary Bell A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
|
||||||||||||||
|
The Body: About The Body | Contact The Body | Content Policy | Content Providers | Advertise With Us | Site Map The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.
| ||||||||||||||||
Email
Comments
Print-Friendly
Glossary
Subscribe
