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cholera
The country is experiencing the world's largest epidemic, and it has everything to do with the Arms Trade Treaty.
You will likely never see Milsoit's face on the cover of a magazine. But on the fifth anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, we believe some recognition and thanks are owed to him--and to all of those--who have spent so many years fighting a forgotten epidemic. They are true heroes.
Antibiotics were the first and still are the go-to means of microbial distraction. However, in light of the continuing rise of antibiotic resistance, their usefulness is limited and we need to explore other options. One such ally is a living organism known to have just as much of a hatred for infectious bacteria: the bacteriophage.
Back in 1913, the Thai Army suffered from an outbreak of dysentery and searched for any possible option to control the scourge. At the time, a local traditional medicine expert offered the troops what he called Krisanaklan Trakilane.Ninety-nine years later, the components of the wonder drug were finally isolated.
Natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy, are common worldwide and leave the affected public vulnerable to the harsh realities of nature, including the onslaught of infectious diseases. The reality of any disaster of this magnitude is that public health measures are all but forgotten as people do everything they can to survive. The viruses will surely arrive before the area has recovered.
Far beyond personal memories of my brush with cholera are the enduring images of utter disbelief and joy on the faces of mothers cradling their children when they realized their loved ones were not going to die.
