Posted on 05/30/2016 4:11:07 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
The clues as to whether the leish would be able to become endemic in the US are hidden in its biology. Unfortunately, I know little about it, about how the organism is transmitted or how it reproduces in the sand fly. I cannot, therefore, make predictions as to whether this disease could become endemic. I do not expect that any insect other than sand flies would be able to transmit it.
When biting insects feed, everything goes to the stomach. In order to transmit a disease, the organisms have to be present in the saliva. Take malaria as an example. The parasite, plasmodium, has a very complex life cycle in which it enters the mosquito’s gut and grows until it reaches a certain life stage at which point it travels to the salivary glands and awaits being injected into the next person the mosquito bites (mosquitoes inject saliva when they bite; it contains an anesthetic so you don’t feel the bite). The life cycle of plasmodia are very specific to a few species of anopheles mosquitoes; no other insect is known to transmit malaria. Even though we eradicated malaria in the US, the mosquitoes are still here, and we therefore always have the risk of malaria becoming endemic again.
There are many others with illnesses who cannot be vaccinated. So, we hold our breath around kids or wear masks.
The MMR is a live vaccine, so immune compromised people cannot get vaccinated.
Chickenpox at the same detention center
Indeed. The reason public health agencies (e.g. the CDC) recommend the widest vaccine coverage possible is to protect the people who cannot be vaccinated. Their best protection is for the chains of transmission to break before they are exposed. Measles is so highly contagious that over 90% vaccine coverage is needed to prevent on-going transmission.
Hopefully, based on your post, there should only be small isolated outbreaks. Perhaps one of those fever radar machines that countries were using at airports should be used at these detention centers. People who are walking out get scanned for fevers. If they have a fever, then they can’t go out in public just yet. Hate to sound like a dictator, but these clusters may progress in a few short years to larger and more often.
I see FB posts with memes that read “How does my unvaccinated child threaten your vaccinated child”. I scratch my head because those who are so against vaccinating their children don’t seem to understand that there are others besides children involved.
A fever monitor would be of limited value for containing measles, since the disease becomes contagious a day or two before symptoms appear.
I have many times explained in this forum exactly how an unvaccinated child is dangerous to other people. For example, a teen might have such a mild case of pertussis that he does not know he is sick. But if he goes to visit someone’s new baby, he can spread the disease to that baby. And it is life-threatening in babies.
Since I have made a continuous effort to educate people on this forum about vaccines, I have seen fewer posts by anti-vaxxers. Every time I respond to anti-vax nonsense, I warn those who post that I watch for that stuff, and I respond. I am passionate about preventing these diseases, and, in some cases, effecting complete eradication. We are on the verge of completely eradicating measles and polio worldwide. That is a great thing!
Good work with educating people! Do you have an education or work in the medical field?
Yes, I do. I am a PhD educated medical researcher.
That explains a few things! Well, it is a pleasure to ‘meet you’. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.
You are welcome! It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well! :)
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