Project Name: The Effects of Past, Present and Re-emerging Zoonotic diseases in Central and South America
Project Owner: Cassandra Brown
Project Summary:
For my project I will be focusing on zoonotic diseases of the past and present, along with those that are re-emerging. The purpose of my project is to show the importance between ecological and human health. Through focusing my project in Central and South America I am able to highlight the medical need for studying and providing treatment for neglected zoonotic diseases that primarily affect marginalized and exploited populations. By showing these patterns and outlining the lack of medical resources to eradicate these diseases it calls attention to the need for more protective measures and the allocation of resources to these areas.
My future project will be a way to educate communities about particular zoonotic diseases such as SARS, hendra, and the influenzas. Each disease of topic will be discussed in terms of affiliated areas, host, transmission cycle, and treatment. Due to project being constrained to Central and South America I am able to highlight the patterns of infection and the lack of resources being provided to affected areas. I have chosen to do specific diseases that have the most reported cases or causes the most harm to communities within Central and South America. Certain aspects of my project such as education on particular diseases are for those that may be afflicted or live in areas that have high risk for transmission. Other aspects of my project such as posts that discuss the lack of resources are directed toward audiences such as educators, medical staff, or community members that simply want to be able to do more.
Environmental Scan:
Most projects on zoonotic diseases mainly focus on one or two diseases at a time with focus on the prevention and eradication process the countries are in now and where they are projected to be in 15 or so years. Others focus on specific areas and case studies to bring attention to the need for medical resources in these areas. Most projects lack personal perspective or a larger overview of the diseases that impact their populations. Additionally, most projects that are focusing on particular areas or diseases, use their projects to train professionale in areas such as malaria and its life cycle.
Some aspects of my project such as the education of specific diseases will be similar to that of other projects. It is necessary to provide information on the small details to appeal to a broader audience.
My project will differ from other projects by encompassing a larger span of area. I also plan to include more of the reason of transmission within certain areas and the cause of epidemics such as a main water source that has been continually infected with a lack of providing the community with clean water. I think that by comparing countries within central
and south america the need of importance can be visualized. I hope that through visualization of these maps the need to care is supported by the evidence of so many afflicted areas.
Requirements for Development: No fear of copyright
Advisor: Reggie Gazes
Librarian: Jim Van Fleet
Sources: Webster, J., Gower, C., Knowles, S., Molyneux, D., & Fenton, A. (2016). One health – an ecological and evolutionary framework for tackling neglected zoonotic diseases. Evolutionary Applications, 9(2), 313-333.
Han, B., Schmidt, J., Bowden, S., & Drake, J. (2015). Rodent reservoirs of future zoonotic diseases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,112(22), 7039-44
Eskew, E., & Olival, K. (2018). De-urbanization and zoonotic disease risk. Ecohealth : One Health – Ecology & Health – Public Health Official Journal of Ecohealth Alliance,15(4), 707-712.
Thoen, C., Steele, J., & Kaneene, J. (2014). Zoonotic tuberculosis : Mycobacterium bovis/Iand other pathogenic mycobacteria(3rd ed.) [3rd ed.]
Choffnes, E., Mack, A., Relman, D., & Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Forum on Microbial Threats. (2010). The domestic and international impacts of the 2009-h1n1 influenza a pandemic : Global challenges, global solutions : Workshop summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. (2010).
Fischer, M., Staples, J., & Arboviral Diseases Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC. (2014). Notes from the field: Chikungunya virus spreads in the americas – caribbean and south america, 2013-2014. Mmwr. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(22), 500-1.
Ramasamy, R. (2014). Zoonotic malaria – global overview and research and policy needs. Frontiers in Public Health, 2, 123-123.
Additional Resources:
- Online research articles
- Case Studies
- Online maps
- Statistics from data sets (reports of infection by location)
Deliverables:
- Home page
- Map highlighting afflicted areas (map is organized by layers; location and specific disease)
- Page highlighting major cities and infections
- Diseases (host, area, transmission, treatment/ preventative measures) (organized by past present and reemerging)
- Page discussing the history of infection and reason for recurrence
- Page discussing current day preventative measures
- Sources Page
- About page
- Documentation Page
Timeline:
June 15th: Diseases categorized by host, transmission, and treatment/ preventative care. Areas/ patterns are identified and categorized.
June 18th: Create map June 21st: Finish the history of diseases and write piece on the patterns between history of these diseases and their future.
June 28th: Finish writing pieces on the target areas of my project connecting the history, present, and reemerging diseases.
July 5th: Finish map July 12th: Work on publication of project (mainly inputting the gathered information work and written posts.)
July 22nd: Finish publication of project (organizing and finishing touches of the project.
End of Life Project Plans,
The basis of my project serves as an educational platform that has the ability to be added upon in case things such as new diseases reemerge, present day mishandling occurs, or sudden epidemics were to break out. My project also allows for contribution of others interested in the topic to input writing pieces discussing the relationship between human and animal health within these targeted areas. In terms of area, my project can also be expanded upon to focus on other areas within the world.
For the next year, I plan to add to my project every so often in to keep the project accurate and reliable. My project will be uploaded as a public educational and informational resource with the possibility of being updated and expanded upon.