Understanding Leprosy on World Leprosy Day
Leprosy is a chronic and progressive disease that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nervous system. Leprosy has been with us for thousands of years. There is evidence of the disease as far back as 4000 BC, in ancient Egypt.[1] In 1873, Norwegian physician Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen discovered that leprosy was caused by a bacterium. [2] Today, we call this bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, and we often refer to leprosy as Hansen’s Disease, in honor of Dr. Hansen. While leprosy caused significant morbidity and mortality in the past, cases today are rare and are curable with proper treatment. How Is Leprosy Transmitte...
Source: GIDEON blog - January 28, 2021 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Uri Blackman Tags: News Leprosy Source Type: blogs

All you need to know about waterborne diseases
  Waterborne diseases are contracted through exposure to contaminated water including drinking water, water used in food preparation, and swimming water.  They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Below is a partial list of waterborne disease pathogens, their microbial classification, and their resulting illnesses. Classification Microorganism Disease Bacterium Campylobacter spp. Campylobacteriosis Bacterium Escherichia coli E. Coli Diarrhea Bacterium Legionella pneumophila Legionnaires’ Disease Bacterium Salmonella enterica Salmonellosis Bacterium Salmonella typhi Typhoid fever ...
Source: GIDEON blog - January 14, 2021 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Microbiology News Tips Source Type: blogs

Strengthen Your Immune System! Your Guide to The Ultimate 2021 New Year ’s Resolution
  Optimizing your immune system has perhaps never felt as critical as it does going into 2021. In 2020, we saw the emergence of the novel pathogen SARS-CoV-2, and the spread of its resulting disease, COVID-19. While this virus is novel, your immune system is anything but. In fact, your immune system has evolved over millions of years into an extremely complex and intricate network of cells and molecules that keep you alive on a daily basis. And, fortunately, there are steps you can take to help it function to the best of its ability. Immune System Basics All immunity can be broken down into two categories: innate and...
Source: GIDEON blog - January 5, 2021 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: News Tips Source Type: blogs

What infectious diseases are due to be eradicated next?
  Although Medical Science aims to eradicate Infectious Diseases in order to protect life and reduce the healthcare burden, it has only been able to achieve that goal against two diseases to date. While this remains a difficult task, there is a genuine possibility that additional diseases will be eliminated in the near future! Let’s explore the diseases that have been consigned to history…and those that are set to join them soon. Smallpox: declared eradicated in 1980 Following a concentrated global effort spanning more than 20 years, Smallpox became the first infectious disease to be eradicated by mankind.  S...
Source: GIDEON blog - December 23, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Source Type: blogs

How many diseases are preventable by vaccines?
  The power of vaccines cannot be underestimated. Take, for example, Poliomyelitis, which was a significant problem 70 years ago  – and is now close to becoming a disease of the past. Not that long ago, smallpox was completely eradicated through the use of a vaccine.  As the world celebrates the imminent arrival of several COVID-19 vaccines, we might ask how many diseases are preventable by vaccines as of 2020. Which diseases haven’t got a vaccine yet? Of the 361 generic infectious diseases that affect humans, only 62 (17%) are preventable by vaccines. Over 100 of the remainder are caused by fungi and pa...
Source: GIDEON blog - December 17, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: News Therapy Source Type: blogs

Common cold, flu, or coronavirus?
  In the early days of the outbreak, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was repeatedly compared to the flu (influenza) and even to the common cold (rhinoviruses, et al). This was due to an initial impression of shared symptoms. The differences between these conditions are particularly important as we kick off National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) and the ‘flu season’. So, how can we tell which of these diseases we are dealing with in a given patient?     Common cold Let’s start with the common cold, a condition that can be caused by over 200 different strains of viruses.  On average, an adult wil...
Source: GIDEON blog - December 8, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Diagnosis Identify News Source Type: blogs

21st century outbreaks
  Which diseases have generated the highest number of cases from outbreaks during the first two decades of the 21st century?  In this blog, we can use GIDEON’s data to find out. ‘Disease outbreak’ is a scary term for many, but every year we suffer dozens, if not hundreds, of localized and international disease outbreaks across the world. While these outbreaks are always significant to those affected, they rarely generate headlines,  and can sometimes go unnoticed outside of the Healthcare Industry. An “outbreak” is often defined as an increase in case numbers for a particular disease in a defined place and...
Source: GIDEON blog - December 3, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Outbreaks Source Type: blogs

Top 10 most prominent diseases of the 21st Century
Which diseases have generated the highest number of cases from outbreaks during the first two decades of the 21st century?  In this blog, we can use GIDEON’s data to find out. ‘Disease outbreak’ is a scary term for many, but every year we suffer dozens, if not hundreds, of localized and international disease outbreaks across the world. While these outbreaks are always significant to those affected, they rarely generate headlines,  and can sometimes go unnoticed outside of the Healthcare Industry. An “outbreak” is often defined as an increase in case numbers for a particular disease in a defined place and time. ...
Source: GIDEON blog - December 1, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Outbreaks Source Type: blogs

Dr. Berger speaks with CNN about dining out during pandemic
  As the festive season approaches, the temptation of treating yourself to a dinner in your favorite eatery could become too much. But before you give in to your cravings, be sure to heed the advice of our co-founding doctor, Dr. Stephen Berger, who has been speaking with CNN about the risks of dining out during the ongoing pandemic, especially in cities. 2020 has been a tough year for everyone across the world. The local and state-wide lockdowns have forced us to stay at home and business to close their doors for what feels like forever. While takeaways have mostly stayed open, it is perfectly normal to miss the buzz...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 19, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: News Press Source Type: blogs

What is antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and why you should know about it
  Today marks the beginning of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, driven by the World Health Organisation to improve global knowledge of antibiotic drugs. Running from the 18th to the 24th of November, the awareness initiative is focused on uniting to preserve effective antimicrobials and reduce or prevent the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is becoming an increasing concern across the world. Before we jump deeper into the AMR and the global impact it will have if not addressed, let’s briefly cover the history of antimicrobials in medicine.  1910, the first breakthrough in antimicrobial treatment T...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 18, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Events News Source Type: blogs

AMR – what it is and why you should know about it
  Today marks the beginning of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, driven by the World Health Organisation to improve global knowledge of antibiotic drugs. Running from the 18th to the 24th of November, the awareness initiative is focused on uniting to preserve effective antimicrobials and reduce or prevent the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is becoming an increasing concern across the world. Before we jump deeper into the AMR and the global impact it will have if not addressed, let’s briefly cover the history of antimicrobials in medicine.  1910, the first breakthrough in antimicrobial treatment T...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 18, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Events News Source Type: blogs

Pneumonia – “a disease of the ancients”
Doctor examining a lung radiography   The COVID-19 pandemic has been a painful reminder of how important lung health is. But there are many other threats to this very vital organ. Numerous lung diseases have plagued the human race throughout history, and doctors have been working tirelessly to find effective means of beating them – a battle that continues to the present day.  While many diseases cause symptoms in the lung, several of them attack this organ directly. “Pneumonia” is not a single disease, but rather a generic term for inflammatory conditions affecting the lungs. Pneumonias affect hundreds of milli...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 12, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Source Type: blogs

Hepatitis C
is a recently discovered disease. Harvey J. Alter identified the variant form of Hepatitis during the 70s, which then became known as a ‘non-A, non-B Hepatitis (NANBH)’. In the 1980s, Michael Houghton and his team isolated the genome of the new virus, and it was named ‘Hepatitis C’. Finally, in 1997 Charles M. Rice proved that the virus is a disease agent, capable of acting alone to cause Hepatitis. This year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine has been jointly awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of the virus. Their contributions (illustrated below) have led to improved unde...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 10, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Source Type: blogs

Bayes in Medicine
What is Bayesian Analysis and where did it come from? Sometimes referred to as Bayesian Inference in Mathematics, Bayes’ is a method of statistical inference centered around population information, variables, and evidence to determine the probability of a particular event occurring. In essence, it is the mathematical calculation of how likely something is to happen based on the evidence.  The creator of the method was Thomas Bayes –  an 18th century English statistician and Presbyterian minister. Although he did not publish his mathematical theories during his life, the publication of his work was post-humously c...
Source: GIDEON blog - November 5, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Product Source Type: blogs

Herd immunity and covid-19
By Dr. Stephen A. Berger WHAT IS HERD IMMUNITY? It stands to reason that a contagious disease should disappear from a population when a sufficient percentage of potential victims – “the herd” has become immune. This outcome may arise because a massive number of individuals have been either infected or vaccinated. Most authorities dealing with COVID-19 have set the goal for herd immunity at >60 percent; however, the precise percentage for any infectious disease will depend on many factors involving demography, virulence, route of infection, etc.    HAS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EVER BEEN ERADICATED BY REACHI...
Source: GIDEON blog - October 26, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology Examples News Source Type: blogs