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Justin Kim

Mr Rivas

11​th​ Grade AP English

28 March 2017

Fear of Flu

Bill Gates, a man of high intelligence and immeasurable success, can be quoted as

saying, "I don't fear much, but what I do fear is a flu that will wipe out the world." The

prevalence of bacteria, viruses, and their ever-increasing nature is a problem that cannot be

ignored, as it serves as a potential threat over our existence, as well as the existence and

well-being of other species around us. The world was recently introduced to Ebola and its

destructive power, which outlined the problems that infectious diseases could cause in the world.

For many developing countries, they were not prepared for Ebola, and, evidently, much of the

world is not prepared for a worldwide viral attack. The effects of a worldwide viral attack would

not only affect the way in which we live, but affect the economies around the world. There are

currently preventative measures that can be taken, but, evidently, no measures are being

followed. The public must first inform themselves about common viral infections, and the

introduction of superbugs. The world is not ready for a worldwide viral attack from superbugs,

due to the lack of preventative measures available in both first world countries, and third world

countries.

Preventative measures are crucial in order to prevent a viral infection on a global scale.

As of current day standards, $176 billion USD are spent to prevent and treat type two diabetes
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and heart attacks ​("Heart Disease Facts")​.​ ​This is a crucial fact to note as the Center for Disease

Control (CDC) only gets $9.2 billion dollars in funding, while $176 billion is spent on treating

diseases caused by Americans' daily consumerism and obesity. The health risks caused by

obesity and the mannerisms adopted by Americans are truly astounding, as there is little to no

regards for health related diseases, causing a widespread obesity pandemic in USA. One of the

largest problems that exist within the American diet is the excessive amount of carbohydrates

and sugar present. Between the years of 1977 to 2000, the average sugar intake doubled in the

American diet. Near this time as well, the total number of type 2 diabetics among adolescents

also increased, from 0 in 1980, to 57,628 in 2010 ​("Statistics About Diabetes")​. This is mainly

due to the large amount of processed food available near the turn of the 21st century, causing the

majority of these health risks. The prevalence of fast food served as a factor, as adolescents and

parents would not need to cook, but instead would just order fast food. However, the cost of this

cheap food was the health of these individuals, as they were not aware of the dangers associated

with these foods. To understand the possible dangers, it is important to become aware as to how

our body handles food when ingested.

When a meal is ingested, the body converts sugar into glycogen, which is stored by

insulin - released from beta cells in the pancreas - into the liver and adipose tissue. If insulin is

unable to convert the glucose into glycogen, there is an increase in blood sugar levels, leading to

hyperglycemia and associated health risks, such as diabetes. The processed food also contains

large amounts of cholesterol, which clogs arteries, therefore not allowing blood to pass

effectively, causing atherosclerosis.. Approximately 610,000 people die every year due to heart

disease in USA (​"Heart Disease Facts")​. In terms of proportion, the death rate due to
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cardiovascular diseases is about 1 in every 4 deaths. As it is the most prevalent cause of death for

both men and women, it brings about the question as to why there are little to no preventative

measures in place.

Additionally, a RAND study projected nearly $81 billion in annual national health

expenditure savings.​ ​It is clear that a vast amount of money is spent on the nation, and not

enough on assisting other nations, in spreading awareness and prevention techniques to other

countries around the world. Modern belief expresses that it is important for The United States,

which deems itself a protectorate nation, especially in times of war, to also stay as a protectorate

nation in times of peace, and assist and ensure the wellbeing of other nations, to prevent the loss

of human life.

The response in third world countries, however, will always be a problem, as they do not

have the funds to support themselves, provide medical supplies to their citizens, and give their

citizens knowledge of how to prevent the spread of diseases. In The United States, it is easier to

have a quick response to a viral attack, while in third world countries it is not the same, due to

their lack of money and facilities. While the USA’s hospitals are operating at near capacity, we

have more response teams and technologies. The duty of other countries is to assist these

infected countries, which causes a slow in response time and more people get infected, as the

infected are unable to seek the help and medication needed. This raises the debate on whether or

not first world countries should help and protect third world countries. On a moral standpoint, it

seems as if it is the responsibility of others, but on an economic standpoint, it is not advised to

assist other countries during these times, due to the fact that the resources of the country are now

being used in other places. The trade-off between the moral and the economic standpoint is
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always used to assess whether a first world country should assist a third world country or not.

This was the case in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, when organizations claimed to assist

the citizens of Haiti during their tough times. The American Red Cross raised over $500 million

to provide relief to the residents in Haiti, after the earthquake (American Red Cross). However,

there were inconsistencies with what had been stated in terms of action taken, to better the lives

of the citizens. The organization claimed to have provided housing to more than 130,000 people

when it actually only built six permanent homes (American Red Cross).​ ​The discrepancy is large,

and brings light on the fact that Red Cross did not find an economic reason to assist Haiti.

However, it is not only US who acts as a protectorate nation towards other nations. In

1992 in Hong Kong, the World Health Organization helped with surveying the people, and

keeping the surveillance and protection due to a viral attack. Even though China is the biggest

country in the world in terms of population, a third party had to assist the country, due to their

unpreparedness (Internet World Stats). China is by no means a third world country, and the

World Organization classify it as the country with the third biggest economy in the world. The

fact that their country was not prepared for such a disaster shows the extent of how little the

government cares about its people, in terms of a disaster, thereby showing no compassion for its

people. Countries need to care about the wellbeing of their citizens as when there is a problem in

one country, there is a problem in every country. Preventive measures must be taken.

To understand how to take preventative measures, it is important to analyse the deadliest

outbreaks in history as means of gaining insight as to how they were at risk for the diseases, and

prevent future outbreaks. One of the most deadly outbreaks in history was the Black Death,
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which wiped out 33% of Europe’s population, killing about 75 million people (Mizokami).​ ​The

emergence of the plague occurred through the presence of Yersinia pestis, in populations of fleas

which were carried around by rodents, such as rats. The plague was devastating in terms of

symptoms, as it formed tumors in the groin or the armpits of individuals. The tumor spread

around the body, and later became black, and multiplied. Eventually, the plague led to the death

of the host, which killed approximately 75 million people in Europe, for a combined total of 200

million people in Europe and Asia (“Black Death”).

One of the largest reasons that the plague became so widespread, was due to the Catholic

Church. At the time, witchcraft was deemed punishable by death. As witches had a strong

relationship with cats, many cats were killed (Abee).​ ​The decrease in cat population enabled the

Yersinia pestis to thrive. When the cat populations increased, the pandemic reached low levels,

and then the cat populations decreased, the pandemic resurfaced. As the cats were unable to

chase and kill mice, the Black Death resurfaced. The Catholic Church associated the Black Death

with cats, instead of rats, and killed them, increasing the number of deaths associated by the

plague. Eventually, people realized that those who had kept cats were immune to the plague,

leading to research being performed, and gaining insight that the plague was due to the rat

populations. Although the cat population increased in the upcoming months, the Catholic Church

is to blame for tens of millions of deaths, as it was directly their fault for the eradication of the

cat population, thereby harboring the disease.

One of the other deadliest outbreaks was smallpox, which killed over 70% of the Native

American population in 1633 to 1934, when Columbus arrived in the New World (PBS).

Smallpox is a viral infection, which enters the body, from either the nose or the throat, which
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goes to the pulmonary system, and later the lymphatic system. The end result is large pustules

appearing over the infected individual's skin. The disease spreads to the other parts of the body.

The fact that the disease is so easy to spread, due to its contagious nature, made it difficult for the

Native American populations to understand the disease, and the effects it had on thousands of

lives. The incubation period of the disease lasted 12 days, where the individual could have

survived or died, with the majority of individuals dying. The disease was linked to Europeans, as

animal diseases crossed over to humans, such as smallpox and influenza. The European diseases

had stayed predominantly in Europe, allowing individuals to get the necessary antibodies to fight

off diseases such as smallpox through generations.

However, people in America did not have access to the same facilities as the Europeans,

and were unable to get prior exposure to the germs from the smallpox, hence they were at the

greatest risk for the disease. Overall, the disease was used throughout times of war against the

Native Americans, causing thousands of deaths. It is important to note that more Native

Americans were killed due to smallpox than guns or sword, making it an extremely effective

weapon to use against the Native American populations, and other populations (PBS).The nearly

immeasurable destruction that smallpox caused goes to prove how detrimental diseases can be; if

the US was so unprepared back then, how prepared is the country now? While the country has

come incredibly far in medical advancements, there is historical evidence of the widespread

destruction viral infections can spread.

There are many ways for viruses to spread. One of the most common ways for the spread

of viral infections is through human contact. Human contact includes touching someone and

transmitting the virus. Food can affect how the virus spreads around, as viruses and bacteria
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thrive on food. In terms of touch, viruses can spread as quickly as two hours. Research was

performed while placing a tracer virus on a doorknob, to determine the amount of time it takes

for the virus to spread. The research indicated that the virus had spread from doorknobs, to all

around the office, and that approximately 50% of the surfaces were contaminated within two to

four hours, and over 90% within eight hours (ScienceDaily).​ ​This shows the large effect that

touch can have while spreading diseases. It is estimated that around 1,000 deaths happen every

year due to the norovirus, and about 70,000 hospitalizations occur as a result of becoming

infected with the virus. The most common way for the virus to infect the host is through touching

contaminated objects, and then putting the fingers in your mouth, which allows the virus to

thrive in the host due to optimal conditions. In order to defend against the viruses, it is important

to have proper hygiene. Fighting against germs occurs through hand sanitizers, hand washing,

and the use of disinfecting wipes. Washing your hands with soap, or washing fruits and

vegetables prior to cooking is extremely important in order to decrease the spread of the virus.

Airborne diseases are also important to note, as they have different epidemiologic

properties, in comparison to contact diseases. Airborne diseases are caused by pathogenic

microbes, which are small enough to be discharged from an infected person, via coughing,

sneezing, laughing, or close personal contract. The microbes can remain in the air, or on dust

particles, or water droplets. When the microbe is inhaled, or contacts mucous membranes, or

when secretions remaining on a surface is touched, illness spread, as the virus or the bacteria can

take over the host, and infect them (Airborne Germ Transmission).​ ​Transmitting airborne

diseases occurs in a different way compared to contact diseases. By preventing social habits and

increasing respiratory etiquette, the host can decrease the spread of the virus. Keeping contact to
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a minimum also helps to decrease the spread of viruses. One of the best ways to prevent the

spread of airborne diseases occurs by wearing a mask, or coughing in a sleeve, as it does not

allow the spread of the microbes to other individuals (RXAir).

Sexually transmitted infections are also important to note, as they are transmitted through

any sort of sexual contact, which can lead to a partner contracting the disease. There are many

forms of STI's, with different effects on the human body. It is estimated that about 50% of people

will get an STI at some point in their lifetime (CDC).​ ​One of the most common types of STI's is

chlamydia. It is a bacterial infection, and 70% of people show no symptoms. Approximately 3

million Americans get it every year, most commonly among 14 to 2 year olds. The infection is

carried in semen and vaginal fluids, and can affect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes,

and throat. Chlamydia is not spread through casual contract, including hugging, holding hands,

kissing, sharing food, or via airborne diseases. Another common type of STI is a genital warts.

Approximately 360,000 people in USA get genital warts every year, and it is caused by certain

types of human papillomavirus. Genital warts are growths on the skin of the genital area, and

around the anus. There are more than 100 types of the human papilloma virus, and some types

can lead to certain cancers. Genital warts can appear in the mouth, or the genital area, such as the

vulva, vagina, cervix, rectum, anus, penis, or scrotum. Genital warts is spread through

skin-to-skin contact, via vaginal, anal, or oral sex. To prevent genital warts, the HPV vaccine

exists, which prevents 90% of all cases of genital warts.

However, one of the most dangerous types of sexually transmitted infections is the

human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV) which leads to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

(AIDS). To understand how HIV spreads, it is important to gain insight as to how HIV is
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transmitted, and the processes that occur when an individual contracts HIV. HIV is a retrovirus,

which infects helper T lymphocytes. Reverse transcription allows viral DNA to be produced

from its RNA code, which is integrated into the host cell's genome. When the infected helper T

lymphocytes continually reproduce, the virus becomes active, and begins to spread, and destroys

the helper T lymphocyte cells. As a result, the body as lower immunity, as the antibody

production is compromised. This makes the host susceptible to opportunistic infections. In terms

of AIDS, it is a collection of symptoms and infections, caused by the destruction of the immune

system by HIV. HIV is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids, such as unprotected sex,

blood transfusions, childbirth, and breastfeeding. There are individuals who are immune to HIV,

as they do not have the CD4+ T cell receptor, which HIV needs to infect the cell. As a result, the

helper T lymphocytes do not get infected, hence causing reverse transcription to not take place.

In order to get tested for HIV, a blood test is necessary, which tests for the antibodies in the

blood, or for the virus itself. In terms of preventing sexually transmitted infections, there are

multiple ways to prevent the spread or contraction of these infections. One of the most obvious

ways is to not engage in sexual activity with an individual with an STI, or by having only one

partner, who did not ever have an STI. However, this usually is not the case, as people have

multiple partners, and STI's can spread between people.

Sexual activities that do not spread STI's include masturbation, phone sex, cyber-sex or

sharing fantasies. Low-risk sexual activities include kissing, fondling, dry humping, playing with

sex toys with a partner, and oral sex (if a condom is used). High risk sexual activities include

vaginal intercourse and anal intercourse, which spread sexually transmitted infections, to the

highest degree, due to the transmission of bodily fluids. Condoms are a suggested form of
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protection, as they form a barrier between the penis and the anus, vagina, or mouth. This barrier

prevents the partner's fluids from getting into or onto the other. By preventing the spread of

sexually transmitted infections, it is possible to decrease the viral and bacterial infections

contracted by individuals.

There are two definitions of superbugs: one of the definitions of superbugs is that they

are microbial and bacteria that developed a resistance to antibiotics and the other definition is a

bacteria that is genetically engineered, to enhance its usefulness for a particular purpose

(Nordqvist). In terms of the former definition, superbugs have antibiotic resistance. Bacteria

carries genes that allow them to survive exposure to the antibiotics being produced. As a result,

infections caused by these bacteria are harder to treat. However, although harder to treat, they

might not be more severe or infectious. The gene that carries antibiotic resistance can be passed

amongst bacteria, hence, bacteria can become immune to multiple types of antibiotics. One of

the most common superbug infectious strains is the NDM-1 strain. The NDM-1 strain is an

enzyme gene that can be acquired by common bacteria, which cause diseases such as pneumonia,

or infections of the urinary tract, kidney, bladder or blood. This enzyme gives bacteria resistance

to carbapenem, a strong antibiotic that can kill multiple types of bacteria, as it is one of the

strongest antibiotics available (Nordqvist).​ ​The NDM-1 strain is not the first strain of superbugs.

MRSA - a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - carries resistance to a number of antibiotics,

which has been a major problem in healthcare settings for years. MRSA bacteria are resistant to

most of the antibiotics used to treat them, making common infections difficult to treat (PBA).

However, both MRSA and NDM-1 have a similarity of having the overuse or misuse of

antibiotics, which led to the creation of these superbugs. The frequent use of antibiotics, which
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are used for non-bacterial infections, or when taken in a different manner than prescribed, the

antibiotics will becomes less effective for future bacterial infections, increasing resistance in

genes. The increase of resistance within these bacteria leads to an increase in complications and

as a result, death. In order to prevent antibiotic resistance from spreading, doctors are forced to

prescribe harsher antibiotics, to combat the bacteria, most of the time which has unintended side

effects, and are more expensive for consumers to purchase.

In terms of the latter definition of superbugs, the technology behind genetically modified

bacteria is astounding (BBC). Genetically modified bacteria were amongst the first organisms to

be modified in the laboratory due to the ease in modifying their genetic backbone. Genetically

modified bacteria is used in the drug industry to create medicine to treat health related problems

and infections. Additionally, with the fact that our technology is advancing in genetic

modification, we can expect to see many new developments in the future. However, there is one

particular case that seems both controversial and wrong in the eyes of the public. This being,

engineering a baby fetus in a pregnant woman’s body, to be whatever the parents want them to

be. They can prevent future diseases, and make their child exceed in all subjects which in result,

would create a world full of near perfect people. A world like that would be great, but the act of

playing God, angers the public as to them, “God makes us the way we are. We shouldn’t

intervene and play with God’s creation.”

Overall, the emergence of genetically modified bacteria, and the antibiotic resistance

could potentially lead to the death of billions of people around the world if action is not taken.

Bill Gates once said, “Superbugs could end the world if we aren’t prepared. They could be

immune to all known tactics right now and any defense we set up would immediately crumble at
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its feet.” There are a multitude of historical events that prove diseases can take over and destroy

entire nations and cultures within days. While there have been a plethora of medical and

technological advancements in the past decades, there are no advancements for the onslaught that

viral diseases could bring on. Preventative measures must be taken in order to better prepare our

world for the inevitable and imminent infections.

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2017. <https://owlcation.com/humanities/Cats-and-the-Black-Plague>.

American Society for Microbiology. "How Quickly Viruses Can Contaminate Buildings -- from

Just a Single Doorknob." ​ScienceDaily​. ScienceDaily, 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 June 2017.

<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140908093640.htm>.

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<https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia-detailed.htm>.

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<https://www.rxair.com/how-to-reduce-your-exposure-to-airborne-diseases/>.

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_testingrev4.shtml>.

"Heart Disease Facts." ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 June 2017.

<https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm>.
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2017. <http://www.history.com/topics/black-death>.

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2017. Web. 05 June 2017. <http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats8.htm>.