Malaria Vs. Ddt

Malaria vs DDT =Ban DDT

Malaria

There are numerous toxic diseases that has been seen and roamed the human race. Furthermore, some of these diseases has significantly affected the human population more ruthlessly than others, causing severe disability and even death. Schneider states that the challenge of understanding and altering human behavior is the factor that now contributes most substantially to premature mortality and remains to be confronted by the health care practitioners of the 21st century. (Schneider, 2011) As health care practitioners, the two most important factors are the eradication and mitigation of certain diseases and are two words that bring about a comforting temperament. Therefore, the restrictions and mishaps that follow the previously mentioned positivity just may leave us awestruck. Widespread knowledge of known research is that malaria appears to be among the worst of the worst when statistically compared to other diseases around the world. Malaria is an infectious disease of the blood that is transmitted by mosquitoes. The mosquito is a carrier of the parasite called "plasmodium. Individuals who are infected with malaria usually present symptoms such as fever, chills, respiratory distress, joint pain and sweating that recurs every two to three days (Tuteje, 2007). The plasmodium parasite attacks red blood cells making the person's temperature rise; the subsequent bursting of red blood cells makes the individual feel cold, presenting with shakes and chills (Tuteje, 2007). Also, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are often symptoms that accompany malaria (Tuteje, 2007). The destruction of red blood cells can also cause jaundice and anemia." This parasite is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide (Tuteja, 2007). It is diagnosed by blood work that test for parasites. Individuals who travel to other countries are at increased risk for this infectious disease (CDC, 2011). Malaria affects an insurmountable number of countries as the incidence of the disease was reported in 2004 to be between 350 and 500 million cases worldwide (Tuteje, 2007). According to the CDC (2011), it's the 5th leading cause of death of infectious diseases in and around the world (CDC, 2011) The disease becomes fatal during the key pathogenic process of the symptoms (Tuteje, 2007). Furthermore, between 1957 and 2009, there were 63 outbreaks of locally transmitted mosquito-borne malaria in the United States (CDC, 2011). During the investigation of these cases, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected data relating to recent travel history, they then examined reasons for travel in order to distinguish the types of people who may are at higher risk for or already infected with malaria. The CDC (2011) listed some reasons for travel that implicated tourism, business, and visiting friends and family (CDC, 2011). The last malaria observation was completed in 2007 from the CDC. Young children and pregnant individuals are the most vulnerable to the disease (CDC, 2011). Malaria is not only damaging to the human population; but it also causes economic burden to the government. The United States spends an estimated 12 billion dollars per year in the treatment of the illness and the funeral expenses because of the immediate death toll (CDC, 2011).

In an attempt to eliminate malaria, a pesticide by the name of Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) was used to kill the mosquitoes who carry malaria (Tren & Roberts ,2009).

DDT

DDT is white, crystallized and has no odor and no taste (CDC, 2011). Henceforth, the theory was that this "pesticide" would be sprayed throughout communities, as well as host sites for these deadly insects in an effort to kill them and the occurrence of malaria would decrease. This pesticide has also been known to be used in close quarters of the home (Tren & Roberts, 2009). Consequently, in 1945, the spraying of DDT led to a rapid decline in malaria but funding ran out before the objective was achieved (Schneider, 2011). This prompted the reappearance of the disease which caused greater concern than ever before (Schneider, 2011). To add insult to an already injured population, DDT resistant mosquitoes emerged in that the pathogen gained immunity to the anti-malarial drug due to lack of exposure to it (Schneider, 2011). Consequently, malaria exists as one of the most ubiquitous potentially fatal infectious blood diseases in the free world (Schneider, 2011). While this disease has been largely eliminated in the United States and occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical areas; it is feared that international travel and the changes in the climate could possibly contribute to the recurrence of malaria (CDC, 2011). The southern states of the United States would be the first area of a major public health concern (Schneider, 2011). In the United States, about 1,500 cases are diagnosed each year (CDC, 2011).

Although, in the beginning DDT yielded positive results for mosquito and malaria decline, the United States banned DDT in 1972 because of damage to human beings and wildlife (ASTR, 2011). In addition, DDT has been found to be harmful to humans and it's side effects include liver damage, neurological damage and problems with reproduction and even cancer (ASDR, 2011).

The Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives conducted a study on the effects of DDT and breast cancer in young women. It investigated whether or not exposure to DDT during its peak period produces breast cancer in young women (Cohn etal, 2007). The subjects were members of the Child Health and Development Studies out of Oakland, California who required obstetric care between the years 1959-1967 (Cohn, etal, 2007). The mean age was 26 years old and the fortitude depending on whether or not the subjects developed breast cancer before the age of 50. The women were asked to give blood samples days after they had given birth (Cohn etal, 2007). The breast cancer cases were identified by the connection with the California Cancer Registry as well as the Vital Status Records (Cohn, etal 2007). The names as well as birth dates were confined using fixed information (Cohn etal, 2007). These cases were then viewed by the occurrence of women who had invasive or noninvasive cancer diagnosed before the age of 50, or died due to breast cancer before the identified age (Cohn etal, 2007). In 1998, a total of 129 cases met the criteria.

The serum samples that were frozen were thawed and analyze using the case control study (Cohn etal, 2007). The case controls were analyzed in the same batch in an effort to reduce laboratory drift. At the median age of 26, all individuals had been exposed to DDT during the blood draw (Cohn etal, 2007). Their ages in 1945, were <than 4 years, between 8-13 years