Pandemics: lessons from the past, applications for the future.

Pandemics: Lessons from the Past
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The Nature of Pandemics
Pandemics are characterized as epidemics that rapidly spread to countries worldwide or to specific regions of the world (i.e., Asia, Africa). Most people do not have immunity against the microorganisms that have caused epidemics. Thus, perpetuating their spread until other regions are infected (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
There is written evidence of a history of pandemics from the prehistoric times up to the present. Some of the well-known pandemics through history are the Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, the 1918 Spanish Influenza, Poliomyelitis (from 1400 BCE, as evidenced by hieroglyphics in the caves of Egypt), and the SARS outbreak of 2003 (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Studies suggest that there is an increased likelihood of recurring pandemics for the last century secondary to globalization, increased travels, urbanization, and significant abuse of the natural environment (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Origin of Pandemics
Zoonotic transmission is frequently the culprit for the emergence of pandemics. Zoonosis refers to the mutation or the process by which animal pathogens, the majority of which are from domesticated animals and the wildlife, are transferred to the human body, thereby causing the disease. Transmission increases directly with human-to-animal interaction through the farming of livestock, creating reservoirs wild animals captured through hunting, and the consumption and trading of wild animals (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Risk Factors
Spark Risk
A zoonotic spark is secondary to the exploitation of domesticated animals. These instances are prevalent in areas with high livestock production systems, such as India, Japan, and Western Europe (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Transmission Risk
The risk for transmission is directly proportional to the genetic adaptation of the pathogen, population density, susceptibility to infection, and the effectiveness of public health prevention measures (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Population density plays a major role in the rate of infection, especially in urban areas and the center of globalization. Furthermore, social injustice and discrimination, poverty, and environmental effects increase a person’s susceptibility to incurring the pathogen. The presence of comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and respiratory diseases, as well as negative factors such as malnutrition, caloric deficits and surplus, the individual’s immune system, the scarcity of clean water, and the adequacy of sanitation, accelerate the transmission rates. Together, these factors identify the marginalized population as the most susceptible groups in a pandemic (Jamison, Gelband, Horton, et al., 2017).
Preventive Measures
The success of containing a pandemic mainly depends on the preparedness of the country. The following are the effective preventive measures:
* Proper identification, contact tracing, management, and treatment of the cases based on the guidelines of the public health institutions and the World Health O...