With all of the reports about AIDs, one would get the impression that this disease is just about the biggest threat to ever hit the human race!
However, I wonder about an even older nemesis-malaria. According to what I read, malaria is making a terrible comeback in the 3rd world. Since the use of DDT was banned, mosquito populations are rising out of control, in almost every tropical area. Mosquitos transmit the malaria bacterium, and our traditional anti-malarial drugs are losing their effectiveness. So, while Pres. Bush vows to spend $15 billion to combat AIDS, are we ignoring an even worse disease?:eek:
Neither. We are our greatest threat.
AIDS is easily the bigger threat. We can treat malaria and it is easily (well, more easily than AIDS) to combat in most Third World Nations.
Malaria is transmitted via the anopheles mosquito nd can be avoided and/or treated. As an American, I’m not concerned about getting malaria.
AIDS is transmitted by sex. It breaks down your immune system. AIDS can increase exponentially, and we don’t have a cure. As an American, I’m afraid of AIDS.
Those who think that malaria (or any other disease) is more of a threat than AIDS might what to think of the simple math involved, and the very nature of the disease. I think if I wanted to invent the perfect virus to put a real dent in the world population, my product would look a lot like AIDS. Let’s stop being myopic and look down the (very near) future. 25 years from now, do you really think you would be posting the same query?
HIV can also be avoided on an individual level. As an American, what scares me is antibiotic resistant staph. It scares me on an individual level–I’m leery of going into a hospital for this reason–and also on a cultural or civilizational level. Twenty-five years from now, will fears over AIDS and malaria seem quaint in view of the newest outbreak of flesh eating bacteria?
The greatest threat to humanity is ignorance. If we are well informed of these diseases, its prevention and/or cure can be achieved. But if you think you cant get AIDS if you dont ejaculate, then Deity help you.
Maybe one form of ignorance is the hubris of believing that we can find “cures” for diseases when all they really do is bounce back with ever greater ferocity. As far as I know, doctors know all there is to know about staphylococcus aureus, but soon they won’t be able to do a damn thing about it. As for prevention, what can you do? Shut down the hospitals?
My mom works for FDA on determining whether antibiotics given to animals can cause resistant microbes to turn up in the humans that consume them. My greatest fear is a bacterial infection that is resistant to everything.
Yes, but Americans don’t make up a majority of the world’s population. As an African peasant, i’d be more scared of malaria than AIDS, i can not have sex, but i can’t not avoid all water areas. Malaria used to decide the fate of nations, half a billion new cases a year. AIDS pales in comparison to what malaria has wraught over the centuries. Hopefully, both will be eradicated soon, Plasmodium falciparumhas been sequenced, and soon we can start making some super cool drugs to knock it off. The other Plasmodiums can then get in line to die. AIDS is the new kid on the block, and hopefully soon will be the dead kid on the block. Plus it is much much much easierly avoided.
yeesh, double negatives a go-go, there! And, no, i don’t think Malaria will become extinct, but it will become much much rarer.
Sure, Malaria and AIDS are both big-time killers world wide, but I think that the greatest threat to humans, as far as diseases go, is probably Ebola.
I was also going to say ignorance. These diseases don’t mean much if they’re irradicated/controlled/treatable.