According to the World Health Organization an NTD is “a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected”(World Health Organization).
This means, an NTD is a faction of diseases that affects tropical and subtropical regions. NTD’s usually affect places and people that don’t have houses or treatment money. Such people are less resistant to the vectors of the diseases. Some of the vectors include mosquitoes, blackflies, sandflies, ticks, and lice. Some of the major NTD’s and treatments are…
- Buruli ulcer
This disease is a tissue destroying ulcer. The infection usually starts with the introduction of the organism Mycobacterium. It starts off as a painless swelling, and can end up permanently disfiguring or disabling a person, its treatments include antibiotics and skin grafting at a higher level of damage. This disease usually occurs in West Africa, and Australia.
- Chagas disease
This disease is caused by a parasite that lives in the feces of the triatomine bug , the parasite is called Trypanosoma cruzi. People can feel pain in the abdomen or muscles, fever, and painless swelling around the eyes, palpitations, or skin rashes. Treatments include anti-parasite medications, prevention includes bed netting and bug spray. This disease usually occurs in South America, Central America, and Mexico.
- Dengue and chikungunya fever
This disease is caused by mosquitoes and can cause a high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain. In severe cases there is serious bleeding and shock, which can be life threatening. Treatments include liquids and analgesics, although it can sometimes self-heal.
- Dracunculiasis
This disease is caused by the guinea worm, this disease can be contracted if you drink contaminated water that contains the larvae of the worm, there are no symptoms, until a year passes, when the worm will come out of your leg preceded by a burst blister over a couple of weeks. This disease usually occurs in South Africa.
- Echinococcosis
This disease is caused by contact with contaminated animal feces containing tapeworm eggs, symptoms don’t appear until the larvae start creating cysts, when the cysts get large they may cause nausea, weakness, coughing, and belly or chest pain. Treatments include surgery, anti-parasite medication, or pair and cyst removal.
- Endemic treponematoses (Yaws)
This disease is caused by a chronic bacteria and can be spread through direct contact with the skin of someone else with yaws, symptoms include small bumps, rashes, ulcers, or scars. Treatments include antibiotics. This disease usually occurs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Foodborne trematodiases
This disease is caused by the ingestion of the fluke or trematodes tapeworm, symptoms include severe pain, especially in the abdomen, if a large number of worms are present. Some treatments include Anthelmintic drugs, this disease usually occurs in Southeast Asia, and South America.
- Human African trypanosomiasis
This sickness, also called African sleeping sickness, is transmitted by the tsetse fly, found only in Africa, this fly can release a parasite that can cause fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching, but when it gets more severe you can get behavior changes, confusion, and poor coordination, and this disease’s namesake, intense insomnia. This can be treated by anti-parasite drugs. This disease can only occur in Africa
- Leishmaniasis (Black fever)
This disease is caused by an infected sandfly. Some symptoms can be fever, loss of appetite, low blood counts, malaise, or night sweats, darkening of the skin, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, or abnormally thin lymph nodes. Some treatments include anti-parasites and antifungal. This disease can usually occur in India, and its call name is Kala azar or kalo jor.
- Leprosy
This disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium. Some symptoms can be blisters, loss of color, rashes, ulcers, or redness, reduced sensation of touch, pins and needles, or loss of temperature sensation, this disease can be cured by 6-12 months of steroid and antibiotic use, if cured correctly, it can leave the person with no disabilities. This disease is not very contagious, contrary to most beliefs. The disease can be found in places like India and China.
- Lymphatic filariasis
This disease is caused by infected mosquitoes that release a parasite into the human body that affects the lymph nodes. Most of the time, the cases can be symptomless, but sometimes, the long-term damage to the lymph system can cause swelling in the legs, arms, and genitalia. Or a frequent bacterial infection that causes the hardening and thickening of the skin which is also known as (elephantiasis). Some treatments may include antibiotics, and anti-parasite medication. This disease can be found in some parts of Asia.
- Onchocerciasis
This disease is also known as river blindness, and is transmitted by repeated bites from black flies, which can release a parasite called Onchocerca volvulus. Some symptoms of this disease can include bumps under the skin, rashes, or scar, visual impairment or inability to distinguish certain colors, and itching, eye redness, or swollen lymph nodes, these symptoms can start to occur after about a year. Some treatments of this disease can include antibiotics and anti-parasite medication. This can be found in Africa.
- Rabies
This is a deadly virus that can be spread through the saliva of infected mammals. Some symptoms are dizziness, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, or malaise, delirium, fear, or hallucination, nausea or vomiting, muscle spasms or paralysis with weak muscles, pins and needles or sensitivity to light, aggression or irritability, anxiety, brain death, coma, difficulty swallowing, dilated pupil, drooling, excess salivation, headache, mental confusion, seizures, or stiff neck. As you can already tell, this disease is extremely fatal, but can be treated by antiviral drugs and blood transfusion, but you can prevent it by taking the rabies vaccine. This disease can be found anywhere.
- Schistosomiasis
This disease is caused by parasites that piggyback on a type of water snail and these parasites go through contaminated water into the bloodstream of humans and attack the liver,intestines and organs. Some symptoms can be bloating, blood in stool, diarrhea, or fluid in the abdomen, chills, fatigue, fever, or malaise, learning disability or slow growth, frequent urination or blood in urine, coughing, headache, infertility, itching, poor appetite, skin rash, or weight loss, this disease can be found in freshwater in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.
- Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
This disease can be caused by oral or direct contact with human or other feces, its most common in warm, moist, or poorly sanitized environments. Some symptoms can be belly pain, diarrhea, and rectal prolapse, blood in stool, loss of appetite, mild nausea, or slow growth. Some treatments can be Anti-parasite and Dietary supplements.
- Taeniasis/cysticercosis
This disease can be caused by a tapeworm that can be ingested if accidentally consuming undercooked meat, especially beef, pork, or chicken. Some symptoms are belly pain, lost appetite, weight loss, and upset stomach, and you may pass worm segments in stool. Some treatments are Anti-parasite medication, and steroids. This disease can be found anywhere.
- Trachoma
This disease is caused by a bacteria that can get to you by any sort of contact or indirect contact with someone who is infected. Some symptoms can be small bumps on the inside of the eyelids, redness, eyelash rubbing against the eyeball, or itchiness, sensitivity to light or vision loss, eyelid scarring or mucus and pus discharge. This disease can be treated by antibiotics or surgery. This disease can be found anywhere where there is low sanitation.
- Chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses
These diseases are usually caused by fungi that can be transmitted underneath the skin by barbs or scratching against a certain tropical plant. Some symptoms will occur after a year, and those symptoms can be skin elevation and itchiness. Some treatments are antibiotics and surgery. This disease can happen in the Tropics.
- Scabies
This disease can be caused by a burrowing mite. Some symptoms can be intense itchiness and skin burrowing. This disease can be treated by medicinal creams or oral medication. This can be found anywhere.
The fact that these seemingly Medieval torture type diseases exist is a calamity all by itself. These diseases may look terrible, but most of them can be treated by antibiotics that can cost up to $15.00 or anti-parasite medication which can cost up to $35.00. The problem is that these diseases only affect the poor because the dirty and unsanitary condition of their homes make it quite easy to contract these diseases. As well as the lack of monetary capability to treat these diseases once contracted. WHO says that the estimated cost of eradicating all of the NTD’s globally would be around 2-3 billion USD, but we have decided to focus on other diseases. As always, we leave the poor on the waiting list; the utter lack of media coverage and fundraisers make it very difficult to make these problems go away. All we can do is raise awareness, and the problems should start to resolve themselves.