Why is this medication prescribed? Ophthalmic Besivance (Besifloxacin) is used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (bacterial conjunctivitis; infection of the membrane that covers the outside of the eyeballs and the inside of the eyelids). Besivance is in a class of medications called fluoroquinolones. It works by killing the bacteria that cause the infection. How should this medicine be used?
Why is this medication prescribed? Ophthalmic besifloxacin is used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (bacterial conjunctivitis; infection of the membrane that covers the outside of the eyeballs and the inside of the eyelids). Besifloxacin is in a class of medications called fluoroquinolones. It works by killing the bacteria that cause the infection. How should this medicine be used?
Why is this medication prescribed? Beovu (Brolucizumab-dbll) injection is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD; an ongoing eye disease that causes loss of the ability to see straight ahead and can make it harder to read, drive, or do other things). daily activities) . Beovu belongs to a class of drugs called vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antagonists.
Why is this medication prescribed? Brolucizumab-dbll injection is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD; an ongoing eye disease that causes loss of the ability to see straight ahead and can make it harder to read, drive, or do other things). daily activities) . Brolucizumab-dbll belongs to a class of drugs called vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antagonists.
IMPORTANT WARNING: Apadaz (Benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen) can be habit-forming, especially with long-term use. Take Apadaz exactly as directed. Don’t take more, take it more often, or take it in a way other than that directed by your doctor. While taking Apadaz, talk with your healthcare provider about your pain management goals, the length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain.
IMPORTANT WARNING: Benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen can be habit-forming, especially with long-term use. Take benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen exactly as directed. Don’t take more, take it more often, or take it in a way other than that directed by your doctor. While taking benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen, talk with your healthcare provider about your pain management goals...
Why is this medication prescribed? Nexletol (Bempedoic acid) is used in conjunction with lifestyle changes (diet, weight loss, exercise) and certain cholesterol-lowering medications (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors [statins]) to further lower lipoprotein cholesterol low-density (LDL) (“bad cholesterol”) in the blood of adults with familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia (HeFH.
Why is this medication prescribed? Bempedoic acid is used in conjunction with lifestyle changes (diet, weight loss, exercise) and certain cholesterol-lowering medications (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors [statins]) to further lower lipoprotein cholesterol low-density (LDL) (“bad cholesterol”) in the blood of adults with familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia (HeFH; an inherited condition in which...
Why is this medication prescribed? Benlysta (Belimumab) is used with other medications to treat certain types of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus; an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body such as joints, skin, blood vessels, and organs) in adults and children 5 years of age. age and older. Benlysta belongs to a class of medications called...
Why is this medication prescribed? Belimumab is used with other medications to treat certain types of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus; an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body such as joints, skin, blood vessels, and organs) in adults and children 5 years of age. age and older. Belimumab belongs to a class of medications called monoclonal...
Why is this medication prescribed? Regranex (Becaplermin) gel is used as part of a total treatment program to help heal certain foot, ankle, or leg ulcers (sores) in people with diabetes. Regranex gel should be used in conjunction with good care of ulcers, including: removal of dead tissue by a medical professional; using special shoes, walkers, crutches, or wheelchairs to keep weight off the...
Why is this medication prescribed? Becaplermin gel is used as part of a total treatment program to help heal certain foot, ankle, or leg ulcers (sores) in people with diabetes. Becaplermin gel should be used in conjunction with good care of ulcers, including: removal of dead tissue by a medical professional; using special shoes, walkers, crutches, or wheelchairs to keep weight off the ulcer.
IMPORTANT WARNING: Simulect should be given only in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of a doctor who is experienced in treating transplant patients and prescribing medications that decrease the activity of the immune system. Why is this medication prescribed? Simulect (Basiliximab Injection) is used with other medications to prevent immediate transplant rejection (attack of the...
IMPORTANT WARNING: Basiliximab injection should be given only in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of a doctor who is experienced in treating transplant patients and prescribing medications that decrease the activity of the immune system. Why is this medication prescribed? Basiliximab injection is used with other medications to prevent immediate transplant rejection (attack of the...
IMPORTANT WARNING: Taking Olumiant can decrease your ability to fight infection and increase the risk of getting a serious infection, including serious yeast, bacteria, or virus infections that spread throughout the body. These infections may need treatment in a hospital and can cause death. Tell your doctor if you often have any type of infection or if you think you may have some type of...
IMPORTANT WARNING: Taking baricitinib can decrease your ability to fight infection and increase the risk of getting a serious infection, including serious yeast, bacteria, or virus infections that spread throughout the body. These infections may need treatment in a hospital and can cause death. Tell your doctor if you often have any type of infection or if you think you may have some type of...
Why is this medication prescribed? Giazo (Balsalazide) is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition that causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum). Giazo is an anti-inflammatory medicine. It is converted to mesalamine in the body and works by reducing intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and stomach pain. This medication is sometimes...
Why is this medication prescribed? Colazal (Balsalazide) is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition that causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum). Colazal is an anti-inflammatory medicine. It is converted to mesalamine in the body and works by reducing intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and stomach pain. This medication is sometimes...
Why is this medication prescribed? Balsalazide is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition that causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum). Balsalazide is an anti-inflammatory medicine. It is converted to mesalamine in the body and works by reducing intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and stomach pain. This medication is sometimes...
Why is this medication prescribed? Xofluza (Baloxavir marboxil) is used to treat some types of influenza (‘flu’) infection in adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 40 kg (88 pounds) and have had flu symptoms for no more than 2 days and who are otherwise healthy or at high risk of developing influenza-related complications. Xofluza belongs to a class of medications called...
Why is this medication prescribed? Baloxavir marboxil is used to treat some types of influenza (‘flu’) infection in adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 40 kg (88 pounds) and have had flu symptoms for no more than 2 days and who are otherwise healthy or at high risk of developing influenza-related complications. Baloxavir marboxil belongs to a class of medications...
Why is this medication prescribed? Baclofen is used to treat pain and certain types of spasticity (stiffness and muscle stiffness) from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or other spinal cord diseases. Baclofen belongs to a class of medications called skeletal muscle relaxants. Baclofen acts on the nerves in the spinal cord and decreases the number and severity of muscle spasms caused by...
Why is this medication prescribed? Bacitracin ophthalmic is used to treat bacterial infections of the eye. Bacitracin belongs to a class of medications called antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria that cause infections. How should this medicine be used? Bacitracin Ophthalmic comes as an ointment to apply to the eyes. It is usually applied one to three times a day. Follow the directions on your...
WHY is this medicine prescribed? The TICE BCG Vaccine (BCG vaccine) provides immunity or protection against tuberculosis (TB). The vaccine can be given to people at high risk of developing TB. It is also used to treat bladder tumors or bladder cancer. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. HOW should this medicine be used?
WHY is this medicine prescribed? The TheraCys BCG Vaccine (BCG vaccine) provides immunity or protection against tuberculosis (TB). The vaccine can be given to people at high risk of developing TB. It is also used to treat bladder tumors or bladder cancer. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. HOW should this medicine be used?
WHY is this medicine prescribed? The BCG vaccine provides immunity or protection against tuberculosis (TB). The vaccine can be given to people at high risk of developing TB. It is also used to treat bladder tumors or bladder cancer. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. HOW should this medicine be used? Your doctor or healthcare...
Why is this medication prescribed? Baciguent (Bacitracin) is used to help prevent minor skin lesions from becoming infected, such as cuts, scratches, and burns. Baciguent belongs to a class of medications called antibiotics. Baciguent works by stopping the growth of bacteria. How should this medicine be used? Baciguent (Bacitracin) comes as an ointment to apply to the skin. It is usually used one...
Why is this medication prescribed? Bacitracin is used to help prevent minor skin lesions from becoming infected, such as cuts, scratches, and burns. Bacitracin belongs to a class of medications called antibiotics. Bacitracin works by stopping the growth of bacteria. How should this medicine be used? Bacitracin comes as an ointment to apply to the skin. It is usually used one to three times a day.
Home Remedies To Reduce Skin Damage: Make beauty scrub with vitamin E at home, not only the face is beneficial for the skin of the whole body. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant, which has been used in dermatology for more than fifty years. In fact, a study at the US-based National Library of Congress suggests that topical use of vitamin E reduces acute and chronic skin damage from UV radiation.
Aniseed can increase the beauty of face and hair, learn unmatched home remedies of fennel seeds. Fennel is an aromatic herb, usually eaten at the end of every meal to freshen up your mouth. But many people do not know that fennel seeds are rich in zinc, potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese and iron. They are also rich in anti-oxidants. Its therapeutic and healing properties make it the perfect...
Bleeding Gums: These 5 home remedies for bleeding gums and strengthen the teeth. Does your gums bleed? Often, many people bleed from their gums while brushing. This is often due to weakening of the gums, non-maintenance of good oral hygiene and swelling of the gums. If left untreated, it can make your teeth weak. Bleeding in the gums can also be caused by conditions like vitamin C deficiency and...
Home Remedies for Skin Glowing: Make this face mask at home with the help of milk powder, the face glow will increase only after 15 minutes of applying. For most of us, skin care is the most important part of life. Most women spend so much money on expensive creams, skin supplements and salon treatments to keep their skin healthy. But due to the current crisis and as we are all imprisoned in our...
For organic teeth, make your own diy tooth powder with natural things at home, teeth will remain strong and look bright white. Oral hygiene is an important part of health because food enters your body through your mouth. Just imagine the bacteria and germs in your mouth that enter the body through food once! Not just once, but we should brush twice daily to preserve oral health. The first thing we...
Tingling Remedies: There may be many reasons for tingling in hands and feet, learn 5 home remedies to deal with this problem Sitting or standing for a long time can cause tingling in your feet. This may be the most common cause of tingling in hands and feet. Tingling in hands and feet is called parasthesia in medical language. Although the condition of parasthesia is temporary, it may be the...
Uses of Fenugreek seeds will soon relieve knee pain, learn easy ways to use Joint pain has become a common problem between the run-of-the-mill life and the irregular lifestyle, causing not only the elderly but also the youngsters. Everyone tries to get rid of joint pain or knee pain. Due to the pain in the knees, you have a lot of difficulty in getting up and walking, so it is important to get rid...
Watermelon burns dry skin and lifeless hair, know how to eat and apply it The problem of dry skin and lifeless hair in summer is very common. There are rashes, spines and all the problems on the skin. Apart from this, our hair also starts becoming dry, lifeless and falling out due to getting out in the sun. It also reduces your confidence. These questions must be arising in your mind that how to...
Benefits of Coriander Oil: Coriander oil is the medicine for every pain of the body, from weight loss, learn its amazing benefits Coriander is a herb, which is used both as a food (coriander leaf) and as a spice (coriander seed or powder). Indian food is incomplete without coriander powder and fresh coriander leaves help give the food a good garnishing and taste. But have you heard of coriander...
Sinusitis: If you are troubled by sinus problem, then take help of these 4 essential oils, immediately the nose and ears will open. The problem of sinus or sinusitis is very restless. Initially, the nose or ear is closed and then pressure starts to be felt on the face, after this, there is a lot of discomfort and confusion due to increasing discomfort around the nose. The cause of sinus is usually...
Heat Stroke Home Remedies for Summer: These 5 essential oils will help protect you from heat stroke and heat stroke Do you like summer If you skip foods, ice cream, cold drinks and fashion, then this season has a lot of problems. This is why summer season is often not liked by people. Due to hot afternoon heat, sweating, small things, food poisoning and sluggishness, everyone gets in trouble...
Problems of indigestion, dysentery and stomach pain by eating more or unhealthy in summer? Get rest in 1 day with these tips and home remedies for diarrhea, food Poisoning and abdominal cramping. Eating in summer should be eaten very carefully, because you messed up a bit and started having stomach problems. The reason for this is that the ability to digest decreases in the summer season. Actually...
Are you worried about constant sneezing? To prevent this, use these things in the kitchen quickly Many people suffer from frequent sneezing due to a cold cold or due to an allergy. It can happen anytime and can be awkward and embarrassing at times. In fact, many times the body of people and especially the nose and respiratory system becomes sensitive to changes. As soon as the morning wakes up the...
Swami Ramdev told that this easy home remedy to increase eyesight, mix 4 things and make eye drops yourself at home Eyes are very sensitive organs, so it is very important to take special care of them. The impact of today’s lifestyle is getting very bad on our eyes. Spending most of the day in front of mobiles, laptops, computers, or TVs puts extra emphasis on the eyes. You must have noticed that...
From digestive problems to weight loss, health benefits of fennel tea is useful, know the benefits and how to make Often, anise is used as a dish and as a mouth refresher. But have you ever used fennel to make tea? Probably not. Whether it is fennel water or fennel tea, both of these are full of many benefits for you. Fennel seeds have many powerful health benefits. Drinking soaked fennel seeds in...
Follow these methods today to get rid of back pain, learn easy ways to use Nowadays due to functioning and busy lifestyle it becomes quite difficult to pay full attention to your health. In such a situation, people who work for hours in offices have to face problems like body pain, back pain and neck pain. Because of which they have a lot of trouble and have trouble getting up, sitting and walking.
Burning sensation in the stomach or chest is a common problem, which is caused by acidity in your stomach. Due to irregular eating, this problem occurs to the people going to the office. Most people understand that this stomach irritation is due to acidity, but they do not have anything to get rid of, due to which they have to face it for a long time. Although there are many home remedies that you...
With the increasing number of coronovirus cases around the world, only one question arises repeatedly in everyone’s mind and that is “how can the risk or risk of infection be reduced. After about five months. Also no country in the world has yet been able to make Corona a defense drug or vaccine. Also it can not be sure that you will not get infected with this deadly virus.
Medroxyprogesterone is used to treat abnormal menstruation (periods) or irregular vaginal bleeding. Medroxyprogesterone is also used to provoke a normal menstrual cycle in women who have menstruated normally in the past, but who have not menstruated for at least 6 months and who are not pregnant or at the stage of menopause (life change). Medroxyprogesterone is also used to prevent overgrowth of...
depo-subQ provera 104 (Medroxyprogesterone) injection may decrease the amount of calcium stored in your bones. The longer you use this medication, the more the amount of calcium in your bones may decrease. The amount of calcium in your bones may not return to normal even after you stop using depo-subQ provera 104 injection. Loss of calcium from your bones may cause osteoporosis (a condition in...
Depo-Provera (Medroxyprogesterone) injection may decrease the amount of calcium stored in your bones. The longer you use this medication, the more the amount of calcium in your bones may decrease. The amount of calcium in your bones may not return to normal even after you stop using Depo-Provera injection. Loss of calcium from your bones may cause osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones...
Medroxyprogesterone injection may decrease the amount of calcium stored in your bones. The longer you use this medication, the more the amount of calcium in your bones may decrease. The amount of calcium in your bones may not return to normal even after you stop using medroxyprogesterone injection. Loss of calcium from your bones may cause osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become thin...
Diamox Sequels (Acetazolamide) is used to treat glaucoma, a condition in which increased pressure in the eye can lead to gradual loss of vision. Diamox Sequels decreases the pressure in the eye. Diamox Sequels is also used to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms (upset stomach, headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue) of altitude (mountain) sickness.
Acetazolamide is used to treat glaucoma, a condition in which increased pressure in the eye can lead to gradual loss of vision. Acetazolamide decreases the pressure in the eye. Acetazolamide is also used to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms (upset stomach, headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue) of altitude (mountain) sickness. Acetazolamide is used with other...
Kuru is a very rare disease. It is caused by an infectious protein (prion) found in contaminated human brain tissue. Kuru is found among people from New Guinea who practiced a form of cannibalism in which they ate the brains of dead people as part of a funeral ritual. This practice stopped in 1960, but cases of kuru were reported for many years afterward because the disease has a long incubation period. The incubation period is the time it takes for laughing death disease symptoms to appear after being exposed to the agent that causes disease.
The name kuru means “to shiver” or “trembling in fear.” The symptoms of the disease include muscle twitching and loss of coordination. Other laughing death disease symptoms include difficulty walking, involuntary movements, behavioral and mood changes, dementia, and difficulty eating. The latter can cause malnutrition. Kuru has no known cure. It’s usually fatal within one year of contraction.
The identification and study of kuru helped along scientific research in a number of ways. It was the first neurodegenerative disease resulting from an infectious agent. It led to the creation of a new class of diseases including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia. Today the study of kuru still impacts research on neurodegenerative diseases.
Kuru Laughing Death Disease Symptoms?
Symptoms of more common neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke may resemble kuru symptoms. These include:
difficulty walking
poor coordination
difficulty swallowing
slurred speech
moodiness and behavioral changes
dementia
muscle twitching and tremors
inability to grasp objects
random, compulsive laughing or crying
Kuru occurs in three stages. It’s usually preceded by headache and joint pain. Since these are common symptoms, they are often missed as clues that a more serious disease is underway. In the first stage, a person with kuru exhibits some loss of bodily control. They may have difficulty balancing and maintaining posture. In the second stage, or sedentary stage, the person is unable to walk. Body tremors and significant involuntary jerks and movements begin to occur. In the third stage, the person is usually bedridden and incontinent. They lose the ability to speak. They may also exhibit dementia or behavior changes, causing them to seem unconcerned about their health. Starvation and malnutrition usually set in at the third stage, due to the difficulty of eating and swallowing. These secondary symptoms can lead to death within a year. Most people end up dying from pneumonia.
What are the causes of Kuru?
Kuru belongs to a class of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases. It primarily affects the cerebellum — the part of your brain responsible for coordination and balance.
Unlike most infections or infectious agents, kuru is not caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungus. Infectious, abnormal proteins known as prions cause kuru. Prions are not living organisms and do not reproduce. They are inanimate, misshapen proteins that multiply in the brain and form clumps, hindering normal brain processes.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia are other degenerative diseases caused by prions. These spongiform diseases, as well as kuru, create sponge-like holes in your brain and are fatal.
You can contract the disease by eating an infected brain or coming into contact with open wounds or sores of someone infected with it. Kuru developed primarily in the Fore people of New Guinea when they ate the brains of dead relatives during funeral rites. Women and children were mainly infected because they were the primary participants in these rites.
The New Guinea government has discouraged the practice of cannibalism. Cases still appear, given the disease’s long incubation period, but they are rare.
Transmission
In 1961, Australian Michael Alpers conducted extensive field studies among the Fore accompanied by anthropologist Shirley Lindenbaum. Their historical research suggested the epidemic may have originated around 1900 from a single individual who lived on the edge of Fore territory and who is thought to have spontaneously developed some form of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Alpers and Lindenbaum’s research conclusively demonstrated that kuru spread easily and rapidly in the Fore people due to their endocannibalistic funeral practices, in which relatives consumed the bodies of the deceased to return the “life force” of the deceased to the hamlet, a Fore societal subunit. Corpses of family members were often buried for days, then exhumed once the corpses were infested with maggots, at which point the corpse would be dismembered and served with the maggots as a side dish.
The demographic distribution evident in the infection rates – kuru was eight to nine times more prevalent in women and children than in men at its peak – is because Fore men considered consuming human flesh to weaken them in times of conflict or battle, while the women and children were more likely to eat the bodies of the deceased, including the brain, where the prion particles were particularly concentrated. Also, the strong possibility exists that it was passed on to women and children more easily because they took on the task of cleaning relatives after death and may have had open sores and cuts on their hands.
Although ingestion of the prion particles can lead to the disease, a high degree of transmission occurred if the prion particles could reach the subcutaneous tissue. With elimination of cannibalism because of Australian colonial law enforcement and the local Christian missionaries’ efforts, Alpers’ research showed that kuru was already declining among the Fore by the mid‑1960s. However, the mean incubation period of the disease is 14 years, and 7 cases were reported with latencies of 40 years or more for those who were most genetically resilient, continuing to appear for several more decades. Sources disagree on whether the last sufferer died in 2005 or 2009.
Kuru is a very rare disease. It is caused by an infectious protein (prion) found in contaminated human brain tissue. Kuru is found among people from New Guinea who practiced a form of cannibalism in which they ate the brains of dead people as part of a funeral ritual. This practice stopped in 1960, but cases of kuru were reported for many years afterward because the disease has a long incubation period. The incubation period is the time it takes for laughing death disease syndrome to appear after being exposed to the agent that causes disease.
The name kuru means “to shiver” or “trembling in fear.” The symptoms of the disease include muscle twitching and loss of coordination. Other laughing death disease syndrome include difficulty walking, involuntary movements, behavioral and mood changes, dementia, and difficulty eating. The latter can cause malnutrition. Kuru has no known cure. It’s usually fatal within one year of contraction.
The identification and study of kuru helped along scientific research in a number of ways. It was the first neurodegenerative disease resulting from an infectious agent. It led to the creation of a new class of diseases including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia. Today the study of kuru still impacts research on neurodegenerative diseases.
Kuru Laughing Death Disease Syndrome?
Syndrome of more common neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke may resemble kuru syndrome. These include:
difficulty walking
poor coordination
difficulty swallowing
slurred speech
moodiness and behavioral changes
dementia
muscle twitching and tremors
inability to grasp objects
random, compulsive laughing or crying
Kuru occurs in three stages. It’s usually preceded by headache and joint pain. Since these are common syndrome, they are often missed as clues that a more serious disease is underway. In the first stage, a person with kuru exhibits some loss of bodily control. They may have difficulty balancing and maintaining posture. In the second stage, or sedentary stage, the person is unable to walk. Body tremors and significant involuntary jerks and movements begin to occur. In the third stage, the person is usually bedridden and incontinent. They lose the ability to speak. They may also exhibit dementia or behavior changes, causing them to seem unconcerned about their health. Starvation and malnutrition usually set in at the third stage, due to the difficulty of eating and swallowing. These secondary symptoms can lead to death within a year. Most people end up dying from pneumonia.
What are the causes of Kuru?
Kuru belongs to a class of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases. It primarily affects the cerebellum — the part of your brain responsible for coordination and balance.
Unlike most infections or infectious agents, kuru is not caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungus. Infectious, abnormal proteins known as prions cause kuru. Prions are not living organisms and do not reproduce. They are inanimate, misshapen proteins that multiply in the brain and form clumps, hindering normal brain processes.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia are other degenerative diseases caused by prions. These spongiform diseases, as well as kuru, create sponge-like holes in your brain and are fatal.
You can contract the disease by eating an infected brain or coming into contact with open wounds or sores of someone infected with it. Kuru developed primarily in the Fore people of New Guinea when they ate the brains of dead relatives during funeral rites. Women and children were mainly infected because they were the primary participants in these rites.
The New Guinea government has discouraged the practice of cannibalism. Cases still appear, given the disease’s long incubation period, but they are rare.
Transmission
In 1961, Australian Michael Alpers conducted extensive field studies among the Fore accompanied by anthropologist Shirley Lindenbaum. Their historical research suggested the epidemic may have originated around 1900 from a single individual who lived on the edge of Fore territory and who is thought to have spontaneously developed some form of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Alpers and Lindenbaum’s research conclusively demonstrated that kuru spread easily and rapidly in the Fore people due to their endocannibalistic funeral practices, in which relatives consumed the bodies of the deceased to return the “life force” of the deceased to the hamlet, a Fore societal subunit. Corpses of family members were often buried for days, then exhumed once the corpses were infested with maggots, at which point the corpse would be dismembered and served with the maggots as a side dish.
The demographic distribution evident in the infection rates – kuru was eight to nine times more prevalent in women and children than in men at its peak – is because Fore men considered consuming human flesh to weaken them in times of conflict or battle, while the women and children were more likely to eat the bodies of the deceased, including the brain, where the prion particles were particularly concentrated. Also, the strong possibility exists that it was passed on to women and children more easily because they took on the task of cleaning relatives after death and may have had open sores and cuts on their hands.
Although ingestion of the prion particles can lead to the disease, a high degree of transmission occurred if the prion particles could reach the subcutaneous tissue. With elimination of cannibalism because of Australian colonial law enforcement and the local Christian missionaries’ efforts, Alpers’ research showed that kuru was already declining among the Fore by the mid‑1960s. However, the mean incubation period of the disease is 14 years, and 7 cases were reported with latencies of 40 years or more for those who were most genetically resilient, continuing to appear for several more decades. Sources disagree on whether the last sufferer died in 2005 or 2009.
How Laughing Death Syndrome Diagnosed?
Neurological exam
Your doctor will perform a neurological exam to diagnose kuru. This is a comprehensive medical exam including:
medical history
neurological function
blood tests, such as thyroid, folic acid level, and liver and kidney function tests (to rule out other causes for symptoms).
Electrodiagnostic tests
Tests such as electroencephalogram (EEG) are used to examine the electrical activity in your brain. Brain scans such as an MRI may be performed, but they may not be helpful in making a definitive diagnosis.
What are the treatments for kuru?
There is no known successful treatment for kuru. Prions that cause kuru can’t be easily destroyed. Brains contaminated with prions remain infectious even when preserved in formaldehyde for years.
What is the outlook for kuru?
People with kuru require assistance to stand and move and eventually lose the ability to swallow and eat because of symptoms. As there is no cure for it, people infected with it may lapse into a coma within six to 12 months after experiencing initial symptoms. The disease is fatal and it’s best to prevent it by avoiding exposure.
The Plague of Justinian, an epidemic that afflicted the Eastern Roman Empire, claimed nearly 10,00,00,000 lives. Plagues and epidemics have ravaged humanity throughout its existence, often changing the course of history. Throughout the course of history, disease outbreaks have ravaged humanity, sometimes changing the course of history and, at times, signaling the end of entire civilizations. Here we discuss the top worst epidemics throughout history, dating from prehistoric to modern times.
Throughout history, epidemics have been responsible for hundreds of thousands of lives lost. The reason epidemics have claimed so many lives is that they are usually highly communicable diseases which reach large populations in very short times. The number of cases of the disease quickly exceeds what would normally be expected within the population. These diseases could be viral, bacterial, or other health events (like obesity). Some epidemics have been so great that they left a permanent impact on the population at the time. Some of the worst of these can be found below.
Epidemics With the Highest Number of Deaths
Plague of Justinian (Byzantine Empire, 541 – 750)
The Plague of Justinian hit humanity between 541 and 542 AD. It was responsible for the highest number of lives lost in an epidemic in history. Estimates believe 100 million people died during this time, which was half the world population. This plague was able to spread so quickly because it was carried on the backs of rodents, whose fleas were infected with the bacteria. These rats traveled all over the world on trading ships and helped spread the infection from China to Northern Africa and all over the Mediterranean. The Plague of Justinian is attributed with having weakened the Byzantine Empire in several ways. The military lost power and was no longer able to fend off intruders. Farmers became sick, and agricultural production declined. With a smaller agricultural base, income taxes fell. Thousands of people died daily at the height of the destructive plague.
Black Plague (Mostly Europe, 1346 to 1350)
The Black Plague claimed the lives of 50 million people from 1346 to 1350. The outbreak began in Asia and, once again, was carried throughout the world by rats covered with infected fleas. After its arrival in Europe, it spread death and destruction. Europe lost 60% of its population to the Black Death. Symptoms of this disease began with swelling of the lymph nodes, either in the groin, armpit, or neck. After 6 to 10 days of infection and sickness, 80% of infected people die. The virus was spread via blood and airborne particles. This epidemic changed the course of European history. The lack of understanding of the origin of the disease led the Christian population to blame the Jewish community of poisoning the water wells; as a result of this accusation, thousands of Jews were killed. Others believed it was punishment dealt from Heaven for leading sinful lives. The world saw agricultural shortages as in the Plague of Justinian, and malnutrition and hunger were rampant. After the ending of the Black Death, the decline in population resulted in increased wages and cheap land. The available area was used for animal husbandry and meat consumption throughout the region increased.
HIV/AIDS (Worldwide, 1960- Present)
The HIV/AIDS epidemic began in 1960 and continues to the present day, although the scariest moments happened during the 1980s when the world became informed of its existence. So far, this virus has caused the death of 39 million people. By the 1980s, HIV was believed to infect somebody on every continent. Rare lung infections, rapidly advancing cancers, and unexplained immune deficiencies were rampant among gay men, and at the time, doctors believed it was caused by same-sex activity. A large number of Haitians were also carriers of the virus, which were not named until 1982. Cases were identified in Europe and Africa. In 1983, it was discovered that transmission occurred via heterosexual activities as well. Medicine for treatment was not available until 1987. Today, about 37 million people are living with HIV. For those individuals with access to antiretroviral medication, life expectancy has been extended. Currently, this virus is particularly aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa, where at least 68% of all global HIV/AIDS infections are found. The reasons for this are many but stem from poor economic conditions and little to no sex education.
Other Epidemics
Other epidemics that have resulted in numerous deaths include the: 1918 Flu (20 million deaths); Modern Plague, 1894-1903 (10 million); Asian Flu, 1957-1958 (2 million); Sixth Cholera Pandemic, 1899-1923 (1.5 million); Russian Flu, 1889-1890 (1 million); Hong Kong Flu, 1968-1969 (1 million); and the Fifth Cholera Pandemic, 1881-1896 (981,899).
Future Epidemics
The next global epidemic is the fear of many public health professionals. Given the ease of mobility and absolute globalization of today, a rapidly spreading disease that could wipe out the population is easy to imagine. The likelihood that this epidemic would come from animals is very high. New infectious pathogens are being discovered every day. Large farms pose the greatest danger because of the constant contact between animals and people; the potential of cross-contagion is increased. It is important that governments and public health officials maintain a strong, vigilant network to prevent widespread diseases in the future.
What Was the Top Worst Epidemic Throughout History?
The Plague of Justinian, an epidemic that afflicted the Eastern Roman Empire, claimed nearly 10,00,00,000 lives. It was the worst epidemic in history, followed by the Black Plague.
Plagues and epidemics have ravaged humanity throughout its existence, often changing the course of history. Throughout the course of history, disease outbreaks have ravaged humanity, sometimes changing the course of history and, at times, signaling the end of entire civilizations. Here are top worst pandemics throughout history, dating from prehistoric to modern times.
1. Prehistoric epidemic: Circa 3000 B.C.
About 5,000 years ago, an epidemic wiped out a prehistoric village in China. The bodies of the dead were stuffed inside a house that was later burned down. No age group was spared, as the skeletons of juveniles, young adults and middle-age people were found inside the house. The archaeological site is now called “Hamin Mangha” and is one of the best-preserved prehistoric sites in northeastern China. Archaeological and anthropological study indicates that the epidemic happened quickly enough that there was no time for proper burials, and the site was not inhabited again.
Before the discovery of Hamin Mangha, another prehistoric mass burial that dates to roughly the same time period was found at a site called Miaozigou, in northeastern China. Together, these discoveries suggest that an epidemic ravaged the entire region.
2. Plague of Athens: 430 B.C.
Around 430 B.C., not long after a war between Athens and Sparta began, an epidemic ravaged the people of Athens and lasted for five years. Some estimates put the death toll as high as 100,000 people. The Greek historian Thucydides (460-400 B.C.) wrote that “people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heats in the head, and redness and inflammation in the eyes, the inward parts, such as the throat or tongue, becoming bloody and emitting an unnatural and fetid breath” (translation by Richard Crawley from the book “The History of the Peloponnesian War,” London Dent, 1914).
What exactly this epidemic was has long been a source of debate among scientists; a number of diseases have been put forward as possibilities, including typhoid fever and Ebola. Many scholars believe that overcrowding caused by the war exacerbated the epidemic. Sparta’s army was stronger, forcing the Athenians to take refuge behind a series of fortifications called the “long walls” that protected their city. Despite the epidemic, the war continued on, not ending until 404 B.C., when Athens was forced to capitulate to Sparta.
3. Antonine Plague: A.D. 165-180
When soldiers returned to the Roman Empire from campaigning, they brought back more than the spoils of victory. The Antonine Plague, which may have been smallpox, laid waste to the army and may have killed over 5 million people in the Roman empire, wrote April Pudsey, a senior lecturer in Roman History at Manchester Metropolitan University, in a paper published in the book “Disability in Antiquity,” Routledge, 2017).
Many historians believe that the epidemic was first brought into the Roman Empire by soldiers returning home after a war against Parthia. The epidemic contributed to the end of the Pax Romana (the Roman Peace), a period from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180, when Rome was at the height of its power. After A.D. 180, instability grew throughout the Roman Empire, as it experienced more civil wars and invasions by “barbarian” groups. Christianity became increasingly popular in the time after the plague occurred.
4. Plague of Cyprian: A.D. 250-271
Named after St. Cyprian, a bishop of Carthage (a city in Tunisia) who described the epidemic as signaling the end of the world, the Plague of Cyprian is estimated to have killed 5,000 people a day in Rome alone. In 2014, archaeologists in Luxor found what appears to be a mass burial site of plague victims. Their bodies were covered with a thick layer of lime (historically used as a disinfectant). Archaeologists found three kilns used to manufacture lime and the remains of plague victims burned in a giant bonfire.
Experts aren’t sure what disease caused the epidemic. “The bowels, relaxed into a constant flux, discharge the bodily strength [and] a fire originated in the marrow ferments into wounds of the fauces (an area of the mouth),” Cyprian wrote in Latin in a work called “De mortalitate” (translation by Philip Schaff from the book “Fathers of the Third Century: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian, Appendix,” Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1885).
5. Plague of Justinian: A.D. 541-542
The Byzantine Empire was ravaged by the bubonic plague, which marked the start of its decline. The plague reoccurred periodically afterward. Some estimates suggest that up to 10% of the world’s population died.
The plague is named after the Byzantine Emperor Justinian (reigned A.D. 527-565). Under his reign, the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest extent, controlling territory that stretched from the Middle East to Western Europe. Justinian constructed a great cathedral known as Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”) in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the empire’s capital. Justinian also got sick with the plague and survived; however, his empire gradually lost territory in the time after the plague struck.
6. The Black Death: 1346-1353
The Black Death traveled from Asia to Europe, leaving devastation in its wake. Some estimates suggest that it wiped out over half of Europe’s population. It was caused by a strain of the bacterium Yersinia pestis that is likely extinct today and was spread by fleas on infected rodents. The bodies of victims were buried in mass graves.
The plague changed the course of Europe’s history. With so many dead, labor became harder to find, bringing about better pay for workers and the end of Europe’s system of serfdom. Studies suggest that surviving workers had better access to meat and higher-quality bread. The lack of cheap labor may also have contributed to technological innovation.
7. Cocoliztli epidemic: 1545-1548
The infection that caused the cocoliztli epidemic was a form of viral hemorrhagic fever that killed 15 million inhabitants of Mexico and Central America. Among a population already weakened by extreme drought, the disease proved to be utterly catastrophic. “Cocoliztli” is the Aztec word for “pest.”
A recent study that examined DNA from the skeletons of victims found that they were infected with a subspecies of Salmonella known as S. paratyphi C, which causes enteric fever, a category of fever that includes typhoid. Enteric fever can cause high fever, dehydration and gastrointestinal problems and is still a major health threat today.
8. American Plagues: 16th century
The American Plagues are a cluster of Eurasian diseases brought to the Americas by European explorers. These illnesses, including smallpox, contributed to the collapse of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. Some estimates suggest that 90% of the indigenous population in the Western Hemisphere was killed off.
The diseases helped a Spanish force led by Hernán Cortés conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1519 and another Spanish force led by Francisco Pizarro conquer the Incas in 1532. The Spanish took over the territories of both empires. In both cases, the Aztec and Incan armies had been ravaged by disease and were unable to withstand the Spanish forces. When citizens of Britain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands began exploring, conquering and settling the Western Hemisphere, they were also helped by the fact that disease had vastly reduced the size of any indigenous groups that opposed them.
9. Great Plague of London: 1665-1666
The Black Death’s last major outbreak in Great Britain caused a mass exodus from London, led by King Charles II. The plague started in April 1665 and spread rapidly through the hot summer months. Fleas from plague-infected rodents were one of the main causes of transmission. By the time the plague ended, about 100,000 people, including 15% of the population of London, had died. But this was not the end of that city’s suffering. On Sept. 2, 1666, the Great Fire of London started, lasting for four days and burning down a large portion of the city.
10. Great Plague of Marseille: 1720-1723
Historical records say that the Great Plague of Marseille started when a ship called Grand-Saint-Antoine docked in Marseille, France, carrying a cargo of goods from the eastern Mediterranean. Although the ship was quarantined, plague still got into the city, likely through fleas on plague-infected rodents.
Plague spread quickly, and over the next three years, as many as 100,000 people may have died in Marseille and surrounding areas. It’s estimated that up to 30% of the population of Marseille may have perished.
11. Russian plague: 1770-1772
In plague-ravaged Moscow, the terror of quarantined citizens erupted into violence. Riots spread through the city and culminated in the murder of Archbishop Ambrosius, who was encouraging crowds not to gather for worship.
The empress of Russia, Catherine II (also called Catherine the Great), was so desperate to contain the plague and restore public order that she issued a hasty decree ordering that all factories be moved from Moscow. By the time the plague ended, as many as 100,000 people may have died. Even after the plague ended, Catherine struggled to restore order. In 1773, Yemelyan Pugachev, a man who claimed to be Peter III (Catherine’s executed husband), led an insurrection that resulted in the deaths of thousands more.
12. Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic: 1793
When yellow fever seized Philadelphia, the United States’ capital at the time, officials wrongly believed that slaves were immune. As a result, abolitionists called for people of African origin to be recruited to nurse the sick.
The disease is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, which experienced a population boom during the particularly hot and humid summer weather in Philadelphia that year. It wasn’t until winter arrived — and the mosquitoes died out — that the epidemic finally stopped. By then, more than 5,000 people had died.
13. Flu pandemic: 1889-1890
In the modern industrial age, new transport links made it easier for influenza viruses to wreak havoc. In just a few months, the disease spanned the globe, killing 1 million people. It took just five weeks for the epidemic to reach peak mortality.
The earliest cases were reported in Russia. The virus spread rapidly throughout St. Petersburg before it quickly made its way throughout Europe and the rest of the world, despite the fact that air travel didn’t exist yet.
14. American polio epidemic: 1916
A polio epidemic that started in New York City caused 27,000 cases and 6,000 deaths in the United States. The disease mainly affects children and sometimes leaves survivors with permanent disabilities.
Polio epidemics occurred sporadically in the United States until the Salk vaccine was developed in 1954. As the vaccine became widely available, cases in the United States declined. The last polio case in the United States was reported in 1979. Worldwide vaccination efforts have greatly reduced the disease, although it is not yet completely eradicated.
15. Spanish Flu: 1918-1920
An estimated 500 million people from the South Seas to the North Pole fell victim to Spanish Flu. One-fifth of those died, with some indigenous communities pushed to the brink of extinction. The flu’s spread and lethality was enhanced by the cramped conditions of soldiers and poor wartime nutrition that many people were experiencing during World War I.
Despite the name Spanish Flu, the disease likely did not start in Spain. Spain was a neutral nation during the war and did not enforce strict censorship of its press, which could therefore freely publish early accounts of the illness. As a result, people falsely believed the illness was specific to Spain, and the name Spanish Flu stuck.
16. Asian Flu: 1957-1958
The Asian Flu pandemic was another global showing for influenza. With its roots in China, the disease claimed more than 1 million lives. The virus that caused the pandemic was a blend of avian flu viruses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the disease spread rapidly and was reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and the coastal cities of the United States in the summer of 1957. The total death toll was more than 1.1 million worldwide, with 116,000 deaths occurring in the United States.
17. AIDS pandemic and epidemic: 1981-present day
AIDS has claimed an estimated 35 million lives since it was first identified. HIV, which is the virus that causes AIDS, likely developed from a chimpanzee virus that transferred to humans in West Africa in the 1920s. The virus made its way around the world, and AIDS was a pandemic by the late 20th century. Now, about 64% of the estimated 40 million living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) live in sub-Saharan Africa.
For decades, the disease had no known cure, but medication developed in the 1990s now allows people with the disease to experience a normal life span with regular treatment. Even more encouraging, two people have been cured of HIV as of early 2020.
18. H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic: 2009-2010
The 2009 swine flu pandemic was caused by a new strain of H1N1 that originated in Mexico in the spring of 2009 before spreading to the rest of the world. In one year, the virus infected as many as 1.4 billion people across the globe and killed between 151,700 and 575,400 people, according to the CDC.
The 2009 flu pandemic primarily affected children and young adults, and 80% of the deaths were in people younger than 65, the CDC reported. That was unusual, considering that most strains of flu viruses, including those that cause seasonal flu, cause the highest percentage of deaths in people ages 65 and older. But in the case of the swine flu, older people seemed to have already built up enough immunity to the group of viruses that H1N1 belongs to, so weren’t affected as much. A vaccine for the H1N1 virus that caused the swine flu is now included in the annual flu vaccine.
19. West African Ebola epidemic: 2014-2016
Ebola ravaged West Africa between 2014 and 2016, with 28,600 reported cases and 11,325 deaths. The first case to be reported was in Guinea in December 2013, then the disease quickly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The bulk of the cases and deaths occurred in those three countries. A smaller number of cases occurred in Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, the United States and Europe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
There is no cure for Ebola, although efforts at finding a vaccine are ongoing. The first known cases of Ebola occurred in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976, and the virus may have originated in bats.
20. Zika Virus epidemic: 2015-present day
The impact of the recent Zika epidemic in South America and Central America won’t be known for several years. In the meantime, scientists face a race against time to bring the virus under control. The Zika virus is usually spread through mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, although it can also be sexually transmitted in humans.
While Zika is usually not harmful to adults or children, it can attack infants who are still in the womb and cause birth defects. The type of mosquitoes that carry Zika flourish best in warm, humid climates, making South America, Central America and parts of the southern United States prime areas for the virus to flourish.
21. COVID-19 Pandemic 2019
Coronavirus is believed to have originated in Wuhan in China, the virus spread throughout Europe, the rest of Asia, North America and virtually every part of the world within months since it emerged in late 2019. It inflicted over 2 million people and killed hundreds of thousands worldwide.
