Definition of
endemic
The Greek word éndēmoswhich can be translated as “of one’s own territory”came to French as endemic. That is where the idea of endemicwhich is used in our language to refer to a disease which is common in a certain region.
Endemia, therefore, is a pathological process that subsists stationary in a certain area for an extended period. A disease that has become endemic means that, in the territory in question, there is a high number of individuals affected over the yearsbeyond eventual fluctuations.
- Yellow fever and Chagas disease, examples of endemic
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- From endemic to pandemic
Yellow fever and Chagas disease, examples of endemic
Endemic diseases are usually infectious. One of the most common is the yellow feveralso known as black vomit either american plague. The cause a virus transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the genera Haemagogus and aedes. The symptoms and their severity are quite variable, ranging from a mild fever to the presence of bleeding and liver disorders that can lead to death in 50% of cases.
The yellow fever It is endemic in several countries with a tropical climate: this means that there is a risk of contagion when someone remains in these nations. For this reason, before traveling to places where yellow fever is endemic, it is usually recommended get vaccinated against this disease, although the indication must be made by a doctor according to the individual conditions of each person. There are even countries that require the vaccine as a requirement to allow entry. It should be noted that non-infectious endemic diseases also exist, since many physiological conditions fall into this broad category.
Chagas disease it is also endemic. The cause the protozoon scourged Trypanosoma cruzi and affects various vertebrates before reaching humans. This disease is found in many countries of the American continent, from southern North America to the Argentine Patagonia region, and is contracted by tens of millions of people every year.
It can serve you: Mosquito
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The endemic is not only maintained over time in a defined geographical area or population, but can persist even through the different seasons of the year, something that does not occur with certain common diseases. According to the intensity of transmission, it is possible to classify endemic diseases as follows:
* hypoendemic: are those whose degree of transmission is very low, and whose effects are not really considerable;
* mesoendemic: these diseases establish themselves in populations little. Its intensity depends largely on the conditions of the community, which is why it must be analyzed in each particular case;
* hyperendemic: the transmission of these endemic diseases is persistent although it lasts for a short time. Its effects cannot be combated by means of immunity of the population;
* holoendemic: This is the group with the highest degree of transmission, as well as a very wide area of distribution, which is generally due to the fact that the adult population does not have the necessary immunity to deal with it.
See also: Geographic region
From endemic to pandemic
Depending on the number of people affected, the endemic can become a epidemic or in one pandemic. The epidemic implies the simultaneous contagion, for a certain time, of a large number of people in the same area. If the epidemic spreads to several countries or affects almost all individuals in one place, it is called a pandemic.
It is important to mention that endemics constitute a problem of public health. The State must guarantee prevention measures and treatments to care for citizens. The framework in which this concept is located is the epidemiologya discipline of science that deals with the study of the frequency, distribution, control, predictions and determinants that are linked to diseases and the health in certain human populations.
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