Introduction
The ultimate goal for fighting against infection is their eradication. Vaccines are vital in eradicating infectious diseases affecting developing and developed countries. Only a few illnesses could be eradicated until now. This article discusses the eradication of infectious diseases.
What Is Elimination?
An infectious illness is eliminated from a given geographic area when it can no longer be identified or spread consistently. The disease may not be globally eradicated. Once the disease gets eliminated, further measures are necessary to prevent disease re-emergence. Measles, for instance, is not common among children in the United States but does occur in people who have not received all recommended vaccinations. Disease outbreaks persist in the unvaccinated or under-vaccinated group but are not at the same level as in the pre-vaccine era.
Other eliminated infectious diseases are cholera, diphtheria, polio, malaria, rubella, and yellow fever. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine helped eliminate the viral diseases. Cholera was prevented by clean water and proper sanitation. Malaria and yellow fever declined by maintaining breeding sites, using mosquito repellents, and the availability of window screens and air conditioners.
What Is Eradication?
An infectious disease is eradicated when the illness is not diagnosed or transmitted anywhere in the world. Eradication of infectious diseases is permanent and global. No further intervention is needed in eradication as the disease-causing agent is no longer present. Polio is in the process of being eliminated, and some strains are located in Central Asia.
Smallpox Disease Eradication
Smallpox is the only human disease eradicated through vaccination. The disease was last reported in 1977 in Somalia. The World Health Organization officially declared eradication of smallpox in 2011. The disease could be eliminated two centuries after the invention of vaccination.
Rinderpest Disease Eradication
Rinderpest (measles of cattle) is the only animal disease eradicated. The disease caused devastating losses to the farmers. The eradication process began even before the vaccine became available.
What Are the Criteria for Eradicating Infectious Diseases?
Non-infectious conditions like cancer and heart disease cannot be eradicated; only infectious diseases can be eradicated.
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The doctor should be able to diagnose the infectious disease with ease. For example, smallpox presents with a severe rash all over the face and body, diagnosed easily. The diagnosed patients were isolated. Individuals could recognize if they were exposed.
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The vaccination against the infectious disease must be highly effective and available to individuals at risk of contracting the disease. Therefore, people with the vaccine develop immunity to the disease or infection. When most people become vaccinated, they create herd immunity. Individuals who took two doses of measles vaccine had 99 % effectiveness. The effectiveness of the vaccine declines if most are unvaccinated.
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The public should be able to get the vaccine and get vaccinated. The vaccine must be highly effective, safe, and inexpensive.
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The infectious disease must not easily spread among animal species. Animals such as pigs, birds, and humans can develop influenza. Numerous host diseases are challenging to eradicate because all hosts must be cured. Guinea worm eradication was postponed as it was identified that there was high transmission among dogs.
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The disease becomes difficult to eradicate if several organisms cause a particular disease. Multiple pathogens cause pneumonia and require varied treatment.
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The fact that the disease could be eradicated in one area indicates that it is possible on a bigger scale.
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The disease burden of the illness, political stability, and eradication cost determine the eradication of the disease.
The H1N1 (swine flu) influenza pandemic involved a virus strain that jumped from pigs to humans. The virus could effortlessly spread among humans. Therefore, if the universal vaccine is created, H1N1 influenza cannot be eradicated but eliminated.
Which Infectious Diseases Can Be Eradicated Currently?
Seven infectious diseases meet the requirements for eradication and are:
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Lymphatic Filariasis: The disease develops from roundworms. It is not fatal but a highly debilitating condition. The symptoms include lymph node swelling and painful swelling in arms, legs, and other body parts. Preventive treatment can lower the disease's occurrence even while mosquitoes carry it.
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Polio: It develops from poliovirus, against which two vaccines are available. Following vaccination, there was a progressive decrease in the infection rate.
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Guinea Worm Disease: There is no vaccine against the infection, but the disease can be eradicated with successful identification and treatment. Guinea worm disease is in the process of being eradicated, as only a few cases are present.
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Mumps, Measles, and Rubella: Measles is highly contagious and has caused mortality in children below five years. Mumps spread with direct human contact or air droplets, causing painful swelling in the parotid gland, fever, headache, and muscle pain. It also causes sterility in teenagers or adults. Rubella is a mild infection among children. This viral disease is prevented by childhood vaccination. As humans are the only host, it conforms to the criteria for eradication. However, a lack of vaccination has hindered their eradication potential.
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Cysticercosis: It is a parasitic infection of tissue caused by pork tapeworm.
What Are the Benefits of Eradicating Infectious Diseases?
The immediate benefits of eradicating infectious diseases are preventing suffering and saving people’s lives. While the initial cost of infectious disease eradication is high, there is significant economic benefit in the long term.
What Are the Challenges Associated With Eradicating Infectious Diseases?
Disease eradication is an ongoing process. Eradication of smallpox demonstrated that the same can happen for other disorders such as polio, mumps, and dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease). Malaria was in the eradication process, and its incidence declined in several countries. However, malaria does not conform to the traditional idea of eradication as no life-long immunity developed against the disease. Although partial immunity develops against malaria, there is a risk of contracting the illness multiple times, and no effective vaccines are created.
Diseases such as Polio have declined in multiple countries due to vaccination but persist in some areas and do not exhibit recognizable symptoms. Therefore, the infected individual remains undiagnosed and transmits the virus to others.
Measles does produce a clinically identifiable rash. However, there is a significant time duration between virus exposure and the development of rash. People become contagious even before the rash forms and spreads the disease.
Conclusion
Eradication of disease is a primary responsibility. The benefits of infectious disease eradication became apparent when Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine, which provided immunity. If successful, the disease eradication efforts are global and reduce the financial burden on healthcare.
