Chapter 3 Biological Hazards
Mosquitos Malaria
Basic Information:
● Life-threatening
● Preventable
● Curable
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Headaches
● Chills
● Flu-like symptoms
● Can progress to severe illness and death
Controls:
● Vaccination
● Insecticide-treated nets
● Indoor and outdoor spraying
● Adding chemicals to water bodies
● Insect repellants
Yellow Fever
Basic Information:
● Epidemic-prone
● Preventable
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Muscle pain with prominent backache
● Headache
● Loss of appetite and nausea, vomiting
● Some enter a more toxic stage affecting other body systems (such as liver and kidneys)
● Jaundice
● Dark urine
● Abdominal pain
● Bleeding from mouth, nose, eyes, or stomach
Controls:
● Vaccination most important
● Insect repellant
● Cover as much skin as possible
● Treated clothing and gear
● Screens and nets
West Nile Virus
Basic Information:
● Can cause a fatal neurological disease
● Birds are natural hosts
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Headache
● Body aches
● Joint pains
● Vomiting and/or diarrhea
● Rash
● Fatigue and weakness can last weeks or months
● Small percentage may develop severe illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis.
Controls:
● Insect repellent
● Cover as much skin as possible
● Treated clothing and gear
● No vaccine
Dengue
Basic Information:
● Viral infection
● Four different types
Symptoms:
● High fever
● Severe headache
● Pain behind the eyes
● Muscle and joint pains
● Nausea and vomiting
● Swollen glands
● Rash
● Potentially fatal when severe
Controls:
● Vector control measures
● Vaccine for children 9 to 16 years old
Chikungunya
Basic Information:
● Viral disease
● Can be misdiagnosed as Dengue or Zika because of similar clinical signs.
Symptoms:
● Abrupt onset of fever
● Severe joint pain
● Muscle pain
● Joint swelling
● Headache
● Nausea
● Fatigue
● Rash
Controls:
● No vaccine
● Reduce the number of natural and artificial water-filled container habitats for mosquitoes to breed
● Minimize skin exposure
● Repellents for skin and clothing
Zika
Basic Information:
● From Aedes mosquitoes which bite during the day.
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Rash
● Conjunctivitis
● Muscle and joint pain
● Malaise
● Headache
● Pregnancy - can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations,
preterm birth and miscarriage
● A trigger of Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis.
Controls:
● Cover skin
● Close windows, screens, and doors
● Use insect repellent for skin and clothing
● Eliminate mosquito breeding sites (water storage containers, standing water, trash, used tires)
● No vaccine
Ticks Tick-borne Encephalitis
Basic Information:
● Spread through tick bites
● Most active in warmer months
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Headache
● Vomiting
● Weakness
● Confusion
● Loss of coordination
● Difficulty speaking
● Seizures
● Infection of the brain or surrounding membranes and spinal cord
Controls:
● Insect repellent
● Treated clothing and gear
● Inspect body and clothing for ticks during and after outdoor activities
Lyme Disease
Basic Information:
● Caused by bacteria carried by ticks
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Headache
● Fatigue
● Erythema migrans skin rash
● Infection can spread to joints, heart, and nervous system
Controls:
● Insect repellent
● Remove ticks promptly
● Apply pesticides
● Reduce tick habitat
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Basic Information:
● Can be rapidly fatal if not treated within the first 5 days of symptoms
Symptoms:
● High fever
● Severe headache
● Malaise
● Myalgia edema around eyes and back of hands
● Nausea and vomiting
● Anorexia
● Dotted red rash can appear
● Altered mental status
● Coma
● Cerebral edema
● Respiratory compromise (pulmonary edema, ARDS)
● Necrosis
● Multiorgan system damage (CNS, renal failure)
Controls:
● Insect repellent
● Treat clothing and gear
● Check daily for ticks
Fleas Basic Information:
● Can cause the Plague, which today can be easily treated with antibiotics and the use of standard
preventative measures
● If left untreated it can have a case fatality rate between 30% and 100%
Bubonic Plague:
● Lymph node inflammation and pain (called a bubo)
● Inflamed lymph nodes can turn into suppurating open sores
● Spreading of Y. pestis in the blood
● Septicemic Plague: Infection spreads through the bloodstream.
● Pneumonic Plague: Advanced bubonic plague where infection spreads to lungs. Usually fatal.
Controls:
● Inform people in areas where zoonotic plague is present and advise on protection measures
● Take precautions against flea bites
● Do not handle animal carcasses
● Avoid direct contact with infected tissues and close exposure to patients with pneumonic plague
Sand Flies Basic Information:
● Associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and lack
of financial resources, as well as deforestation, building of dams, irrigation schemes and urbanization.
Symptoms:
● Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL): Irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and
liver, and anemia. Over 95% of untreated cases are fatal.
● Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL): Skin lesions, mainly ulcers, on exposed body parts, leaving life-long
scars and serious disability or stigma.
● Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis: Partial or total destruction of mucous membranes of the nose,
mouth, and throat.
Controls:
● Insecticide spray
● Treated nets
● Environmental management
● Personal protection
Brucellosis Basic Information:
● Bacterial disease caused by Brucella species
● Mainly infects cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs
● Caused by ingesting unpasteurized milk or cheese
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Weakness
● Malaise
● Weight loss
Controls:
● Vaccination of animals
● Raising awareness
● Food-safety measures
● Occupational hygiene
● Laboratory safety
● Pasteurization of milk is important
Chagas Disease Basic Information:
● Caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi)
● Curable if treatment is initiated soon after infection
Symptoms:
● High number of parasites circulating in the blood
● Skin lesion
● Purplish swelling of one eyelid
● Fever
● Headache
● Enlarged lymph glands
● Pallor
● Muscle pain
● Difficulty breathing
● Swelling
● Abdominal or chest pain
One to three decades later:
● Cardiac disorders
● Digestive problems
● Neurological, or mixed alterations
● Destruction of the heart muscle and nervous system
● Cardiac arrhythmias or progressive heart failure
● Sudden death
Controls:
● No vaccine
● Insecticides
● House improvements and cleanliness
● Bednets
● Good hygiene practices in food preparation, transportation, storage, and consumption
Ebola Basic Information:
● Transmitted from wild animals and through human-to-human transmission
● Average fatality rate is around 50%
Symptoms:
● Acute serious illness, often fatal if untreated
● Sudden fever
● Fatigue
● Muscle pain
● Headache
● Sore throat
● Vomiting and/or diarrhea
● Rash
● Impaired kidney and liver function
● Internal and external bleeding
Controls:
● Vaccines
● Infection prevention and control practices
● Surveillance and contact tracing
● Good laboratory service
● Safe and dignified burials
● Social mobilization
Rabies Basic Information:
● Vaccine-preventable viral disease
● From domestic and wild animals
● Over 99% of cases due to dog bites
Symptoms:
● Fever
● Pain
● Unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensation at the wound site
● Progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cords develops
● Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal.
● Furious rabies: hyperactivity, excitable behavior, hydrophobia, aerophobia, death occurs after a few
days due to cardio-respiratory arrest
● Paralytic rabies: muscles gradually become paralyzed, starting at the site of the bite or scratch, a
coma slowly develops, and eventually death occurs
Controls:
● Mass vaccination of dogs
● Education/public awareness
● Access to post-bite treatment
● Thorough cleansing of the wound
● Immunization
● Human vaccination recommended
Schistosomiasis Basic Information:
● Parasitic disease caused by blood flukes (trematode worms)
● Larval forms are released by snails
● Can infect water
Symptoms:
● In children: anemia, stunted growth, reduced ability to learn
● Can affect one’s ability to work
● May result in death
● Intestinal schistosomiasis: abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool, liver enlargement,
accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, hypertension of abdominal blood vessels, and
enlargement of the spleen
● Urogenital schistosomiasis: hematuria (blood in urine), fibrosis of the bladder and ureter, and kidney
damage
● Bladder cancer in later stages
Controls:
● Treatment with praziquantel of at-risk population groups
● Access to safe water
● Improved sanitation
● Hygiene education
● Snail control
