Polio Vaccine: A New Form of Immunity

Everywhere we go, we have contact with many objects and people and those people and objects have had contact with other objects and people. It’s a fact of life and it is because we live in a world that’s populated with more than 7 billion people. But out of those 7 billion people, how many can we count that have proper hygiene? It’s impossible to tell. In this world, everyone is exposed to bacteria and if you run into contact with individuals who have bad hygiene, then it gives more reason for you to always stay clean and look after your health.

            Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that can be transmitted with contact of individuals who are infected. The fecal-oral route (a route where fecal particles pass from one host and into the mouth of another host) is the way the virus is transmitted and its host can be contaminated water, food, or an infected individual. Transmission can especially happen if you have direct contact with an infected individual who has poor hygiene due to the disease being found in mucus, feces, and phlegm (thick mucus found in respiratory passages).

The disease affects the nerves. Most early symptoms are not noticeable and sometimes do not appear but when they do, sore throat, red throat, headaches, nausea, and vomiting may take place. Later symptoms include abnormal reflexes, back stiffness, problems for simple mobility such as lifting the head or legs when lying down, and struggles to bend the neck.  

 The severe affects of polio completely depends just which nerves are infected, how fast it gets into the bloodstream, or if the grey matter of the spinal column is infected which is responsible for the movement of the muscles. If the grey matter of the spinal column is infected, inflammation of the nerve cells can take place resulting in a blockage of nerve signals from the spine and/or brain to the muscles. If the nerve cells become permanently damaged or destroyed, with no nerve stimulation, the muscles become floppy, weak, and eventually paralyzed.

The symptoms all vary depending on the areas where the disease is infecting. For example, bulbar polio infects the bulbar region of the brain which is the region that connects the stem of the brain to the cerebral vortex. If the cranial muscles are weakened as a result of the destruction of the nerves in this region, it can cause an individual to difficulty breathing, swallowing, and may even cause suffocation due to mucus build-up in the respiratory system. Most of the nerves in this region are what control swallowing functions in the throat, send signals to heart, intestines, and lungs, and control the upper neck. Respiratory problems may lead to death in some cases of polio.

Despite the disease nowadays being nearly non-existent in some places around the world, it is still prevalent in warmer climates such as South Asia and much of Africa. Currently, there is no cure for polio but there is treatment. However even with treatment there is no guarantee that an individual may make a full recovery. Some, after treatment, are left with deformities, permanent muscle paralysis, and lung problems. Vaccination is now recommended as one of the most powerful sources for prevention as it helps an individual have complete immunity.  It efficiently impedes person-to-person transmission of the virus protecting both the individual vaccine and those around them.

The importance of the polio vaccination should be considered especially if you are planning to travel this summer to countries where the disease is prevalent. As I stated in the beginning, we are always surrounded by millions of people and we don’t know who has good hygiene and who cleans up after themselves. Bad hygiene increases the chances of the virus spreading especially in the countries where it is widespread. So if you are planning to travel and are contemplating the idea of receiving the vaccine, for more info, visit us at our website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an appointment at our certified travel clinic. A summer with a clean bill of health is the best feeling in the world!

Hepatitis B: Get Protected

In recognition of World Hepatitis Day on July 28, educate yourself on the hepatitis B virus. Read on to find answers to all the questions you may have about Hepatitis B and its prevention.

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver. Caused by the hepatitis B virus, the disease has caused epidemics in different parts of the world, including Asia and Africa. About a third of today’s world population has been infected by the virus at some point, and approximately 350 million people are chronic carriers.
Symptoms of the virus include abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, weakness and fatigue, and jaundice. Most infants and children with hepatitis B, as well as some adults, never develop symptoms. 

How is the hepatitis B virus transmitted?

Unlike hepatitis A, hepatitis B cannot normally spread through contaminated food or water. It is instead transmitted through infectious blood and other bodily fluids, including semen and vaginal fluids. In the past, the virus has been transmitted through sexual contact , blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated syringes, and vertical transmission from mother to child.

After the hepatitis B virus enters the liver, the virus invades the cells and multiplies, leading to liver inflammation and the symptoms associated with the hepatitis B infection.

Is there a vaccine available for hepatitis B prevention?

Several vaccines are available on the market today for the purpose of hepatitis B prevention. Vaccines today are commonly made using a synthetic recombinant DNA technology, and they do not contain blood products. Patients will not be infected through this vaccination.

The Hepatitis B vaccination process usually consists of three or four injections. The first and second doses provide complete protection against the hepatitis B virus，and the final dose (either the third or fourth dose, depending on how many doses were administered in total) provides prolonged protection.

Poor responses to the vaccine are usually only associated with those over the age of 40, smokers, and alcoholics, especially those with advanced liver disease. Poor responses have also occasionally been noticed in patients who are obese and patients with HIV.

How else can I protect myself against hepatitis B?

Since hepatitis B is transferred through contact with infectious bodily fluids, the virus can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, unsafe blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles and syringes, and vertical transmission from mother to child during child birth. Infants should be vaccinated at birth.

Protect yourself by practicing safe sex. Don't engage in unprotected sex unless you are positive that your partner is not infected with hepatitis B or any other sexually transmitted disease. Never share needles, and always sterilize. Also, be cautious when getting piercings or tattoos; make sure that the employees sterilize their needles.

Especially if you are planning on visiting a region or country where hepatitis B is more prevalent, visit a travel clinic to ask a doctor about the hepatitis B vaccine in advance. The series of injections is usually administered over a six-month period.

Hepatitis B is a dangerous virus, but you can protect yourself. Take precautions, and get vaccinated!

The Cold-Blooded Effects of Malaria: How to Prevent?

If you are planning to travel to any tropical or sub-tropical region during the remainder of the summer, one thing to consider taking with you is immunity. In these tropical and sub-tropical regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Central and South America), there exists, as many know, mosquitoes and other kinds of parasites that carry diseases that can be easily transmitted through a simple bite.

            One of these diseases is Malaria. It is a mosquito-borne virus that once transmitted can lead to high-fevers, anemia, flu-like symptoms, and at its most severe, brain infection, kidney and liver failure. Many attempts to prevent the epidemiology of the disease have been taken but in less developed countries, it has still remained prevalent. According to the World Health Organization’s report The World Malaria Report 2012, in 2010, there were more than 219,000,000 reported cases of malaria which resulted in the deaths of more than 660,000 people worldwide.

            Malaria, though its effects can be reduced depending on its severity, can lead to death if no treatment is given to the individual. Once malaria is transmitted through the mosquito bite, it travels through the bloodstream and into the liver where the disease further develops and multiplies amongst red blood cells. The first signs of symptoms begin to appear on average between 8 days to 4 weeks after infection. Once the destruction of the red blood cells takes place, anemia develops. Other symptoms that appear in the early stages are high fever, headaches, joint pains, sweating, hemoglobin in urine (red urination), vomiting, convulsions, and even coma.

            Signs of malaria include an enlarged liver or spleen during a physical examination. In later stages after malaria has gone on to infect the individual through the bloodstream, neurological damage may take place along with respiratory distress during which an individual may experience metabolic acidosis (when the body produces too much acid) in the respiratory system, noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema (when the left ventricle of the heart fails to remove blood from the pulmonary circulation), severe anemia, and the inflammation of the lungs. An individual may begin to suffer decreased consciousness, breathing problems, and significant weakness to the point where the individual may not have the strength to walk. All this if not given attention in time can lead to liver failure, brain disease, and eventually death.

            Vaccination for malaria is still in the development phase, medication is being provided for prevention of the disease. The type of medication an individual will need to take will all depend where they are planning to travel. Contact with your health care provider is a must if you are planning to visit a region where the disease is prevalent and should be taken into consideration at least two weeks before travel. There are reports that state that the World Health Organization claims that a licensed and effective vaccine should be ready by 2015. For now, effective medication is the way to go for prevention. For more information, visit us at our website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an appointment.

The Many Faces of Meningitis: Why Vaccination is a Must

It’s one thing to protect our health against specific types of diseases that exist out there in the world. It’s another thing when one of those diseases comes in different forms and can affect an individual in more ways than one. Over the years in the health field, we have learned that certain viral diseases can transform into other illnesses under different classifications (HIV leads to AIDS for example) which leads to an awareness of the importance of receiving different types of vaccinations against diseases of all kinds.

            Meningitis is a virus that causes the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (the meninges). The disease comes in different forms: viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and non-infectious and cause infection in different ways. Viral meningitis develops from preexisting viruses that were already in the body. Individuals that were previously infected with mosquito-borne viruses, enteroviruses, herpes can develop viral meningitis but it is not as severe as the other types of meningitis and mostly cause flu-like symptoms. The viral meningitis goes away eventually without a need for major treatments.

            Bacterial meningitis is the worst though and can eventually lead to death or permanent damage of the brain, epilepsy, and hearing loss if the individual infected is not given immediate medical attention. Its affects and ways of infection are different depending on the age group. Premature and newborn babies come into contact with the disease when born as the bacteria inhabits the vagina. Most individuals in older age groups can become infected from contact with discharges of the nose and throat of an infected person. An individual who has suffered significant skull trauma or fractures is also at risk if the traces of the disease enter the nasal cavity and then into the meningeal space. A weak immune system may also increase risk of infection.

            The other kinds of meningitis (fungal, parasitic, non-infectious) each have their own ways of affecting the meninges (membranes of the brain and spinal cord) but the affects are just as severe in each one causing symptoms such as sudden high fever, rigidity, mental status changes, sensitivity to light and sound, rapid breathing, and in infants the bulging of their soft spot. As the disease progresses, the individual can suffer complications such as the swelling of the brain resulting in a herniate through the skull base, falling blood pressure, seizures, blood clots, hearing loss, and hydrocephalus (buildup of fluid inside the brain).

            Treatments for meningitis range from antibiotics to medicines treating symptoms such as seizures, shock, and brain swelling but it does not bring a complete end to the disease which is why meningitis vaccination is recommended as the best mechanism for prevention. Some vaccinations such as pneumococcal conjugate are considered routine childhood immunization. So if in many communities it is seen as a necessity, then we realize just important it is to not only protect our health but those of children as well. Vaccination should also be considered if you have problems with your immune system, going to travel to countries where the disease is common, surrounded by individuals who have meningitis, or are living in a college dorm room.

            Meningitis reveals itself through many different faces. So much that for many individuals it is hard to detect it in the early stages due to its flu-like symptoms. But depending on the type of meningitis, it is always important to stress the importance because it can become deadly if untreated which leads us to understand the importance as well of receiving the vaccination. It produces long-term immunity but booster shots should be taken at least every 10 years to continue producing immunity against the disease. For more info, visit us at our website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an appointment if you are considering vaccination. A clean bill of health is always bliss!

An Open Wound = An Open Door for Tetanus

One day you wake up, ready to go about your day-to-day routine. If it’s another day at work, you shower, get dressed, and head out the door. If it’s a day off, you might just head out to exercise, jog, or explore the outside world. But then you run into a little accident and you cut yourself, scrape the skin off a part of your flesh, or end up having an open wound after stepping on a nail or getting scraped by an object you walked by.

            Little do we know that such insignificant wounds sometimes may open the door for various infections that many of us do not expect to enter our body. This is one of the ways that Tetanus infection occurs amongst millions of people worldwide per year. Tetanus is a painful and deadly infection that causes severe muscle spasms as a result of contamination of the central nervous system. The infection is known to enter an individual’s body through open wounds or an injury that leaves an opening in the body for the infection to enter.

            Now, you are probably wondering, “But how can an infection as severe as Tetanus enter a random individual?” It all depends where you are situated, what kind of environment you’re in, and if any wounds in your body are exposed. The infection mostly resides in spores that contain the bacteria C. tetani which is found in the soil, animal feces, animal teeth, fungi, and certain plants. It’s the bacteria that causes Tetanus. The infection is more prevalent in warm and damp climates with soil rich in organic matter. If you one day injure yourself and your open wounds make contact with soil, it is important to contact your health provider about any risk of Tetanus infection.

Symptoms of the infection depend on the duration of the incubation period which in turn depends on how far the injury is from the central nervous system. Symptoms may appear between 7-21 days after infection and its first signs are mild spasms in the jaw, chest, neck, back, and abdominal muscles. In later stages, symptoms worsen causing sudden, painful, and severe muscle contractions and spasms that can cause fractures and muscle tears.

If muscles that assist with breathing are affected, the person may suffer breathing problems or suffocation. All this is the result of the bacteria of the infection releasing a poison in the body that blocks nerve signals from the spinal cord to the muscles. About 11% of all Tetanus cases become fatal due to heart failure, respiratory arrest, brain damage, and airway obstruction.

There is no known cure for Tetanus but according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), what is highly recommended for prevention of the infection is vaccination. How soon should it be taken? As soon as possible especially if you are an individual who explores the outdoors frequently or likes to travel. CDCP also recommends for children and infants to take the vaccine to prevent infection. Once more, side-effects should not be of any great concern. They are minor ranging from fever, swelling, and soreness around the area of injection. The affects of the vaccine lasts up to 10 years and patients are recommended to receive boosters every 10 years to preserve the vaccine within their immune system. The tetanus vaccination is considered the most important factor in preventing infection. For more info, visit us at our website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an appointment if you are considering vaccination. A clean bill of health is always bliss!