Re-emergence of infectious diseases associated with the past

Abstract

Diseases thought to have been left behind in the early 20th century have worryingly begun to re-emerge over the past few years, especially in vulnerable populations and low-income and middle-income countries. In 2018, an outbreak of diphtheria in Rohingya refugee campsites in Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh) caused nearly 8000 cases, with heavy monsoon rains contributing to reduced access to health care. More recently, trench fever and associated heart problems, caused by the bacterium Bartonella quintana spread via body lice, which was rife among armies during World War 1, was identified in four homeless men in Winnipeg (Canada) in 2020.

Topics & Concepts