Parasite and Disease Spread by Major Rivers on Earth

Rivers are the "blood vessels" of all living organisms on earth - they live in the water, drink the water or use it to spread into new regions in order to avoid overcrowding in specific locations. Since the early beginnings of human life on earth, riverbanks have been used as settlement sites, to provide food and for transport. However, since the oldest human cultures many agents of diseases have also spread along these rivers. Written by leading international parasitologists and physicians, this book discusses the involvement of rivers in the spread of diseases, but also their contributions to the development and destruction of human cultures. Examining past and current data, it shows how important and vulnerable river regions are and how they are increasingly endangered by pollution.

Texte du rabat

Rivers are the blood vessels of all living organisms on earth they live in the water, drink the water or use it to spread into new regions in order to avoid overcrowding in specific locations. Since the early beginnings of human life on earth, riverbanks have been used as settlement sites, to provide food and for transport. However, since the oldest human cultures many agents of diseases have also spread along these rivers. Written by leading international parasitologists and physicians, this book discusses the involvement of rivers in the spread of diseases, but also their contributions to the development and destruction of human cultures. Examining past and current data, it shows how important and vulnerable river regions are and how they are increasingly endangered by pollution.

Résumé

This book focuses on waterborne pathogens and significant diseases occurring along major rivers around the globe, including key examples like the Amazonas, Mekong River and Nile. Written by leading international experts, it offers unique insights into local riverine infection risks in times of global warming, and addressing these through advances in diagnosis, health management and the development of simple but effective control measures. It also sheds light on why former societies collapsed due to transmitted diseases during periods of climate change, droughts and floods, to help establish effective preventive measures for the future.

The book appeals to a wide readership, from scientists in the field of parasitology, infectious diseases and epidemiology, to healthcare managers and general readers with an interest in pathogen spread along the largest rivers on earth. It particularly highlights past and current control mechanisms in times of global warming and assesses potential future health hazards.

Contenu

Preface (Heinz Mehlhorn)

Contents

1. Important rivers and their worldwide contributions to epidemics on earth (Heinz Mehlhorn)

2. Conquering the God of Plague in China: a tale of over 60 years (Wei Wang)

3. Cholera (Blue skin disease) and its history(Heinz Mehlhorn)

4. Spreading of cholera along rivers in early times of the USA before detection of the agents of disease(Heinz Mehlhorn)

5. Human cercarial dermatitis (HCD) or swimmer's itch along rivers and lakes(Heinz Mehlhorn)

6. Blood sucking leeches not only nasty but also dangerous and helpful(Heinz Mehlhorn)

7. Important foodbornetrematodiases in Lower Mekong River Basin (OranuchSanpool,TongjitThanchomnang, WanchaiMaleewong, Pewpan M. Intapan)

8. Important protozoan diseases in Lower Mekong River Basin (TongjitThanchomnang, OranuchSanpool,Pewpan M. Intapan, WanchaiMaleewong)

9. Free-living amoebae and associated drug resistant bacteria in surface waters-A public health concern? (P. Muchesa, C. Bartie, T.G. Barnard)

10. Nile River, Impact on Human Health in Egypt from Pharaohs until now (Fathy Abdel-Ghaffar, Hassan M. Sobhy, Karim S. Metwaly, Sayed AdbEl-Monem, Heinz Mehlhorn)

11. Epidemic status of schistosomiasis control in Guangdong province (Zhongdao Wu)

12. Konna a help for a self-help project at the Niger River in Mali (martin Stetzkowski, Klaus-Christian Withöft, Heinz Mehlhorn)

13. Leishmaniasis in Israel and Palestinian territories (Heinz Mehlhorn)

14. Past and present of tropical diseases in the Amazon river (Felipe GuhlNannetti, Juan Felipe GuhlSamudio)

15. Brazil's big river projects and their impact on the occurrence of tropical diseases (Alberto Novaes Ramos Jr, Marta Cristhiany Cunha Pinheiro, Sharmênia de Araújo Soares Nuto, Edenilo Baltazar Barreira Filho, Jörg Heukelbach)

16. The major rivers and the genesis of the recent area of ticks Ixodes persulcatus in Western Siberia (Valerie V. Yakimenko)

17. The Main River and Main-Danube Canal a hub for Ponto-Caspian parasite invasion (Alt KG, Emde S, Kochmann J, Doerge DD, Klimpel S)

18. "Father Rhine" - from the Alps to the North Sea (Monika Niehaus)

19. The River Rhine as hotspot of parasite invasions (Bernd Sures, MilenNachev, Daniel Grabner)

20. Free-living amoebae in rivers and ponds and their multiple role in environmental health (Patrick Scheid)