SIlent Epidemic! The Mystery of Tularemia

06/12/24 • 29 min

Tularemia is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Francisella Tularensis. The disease is recorded to affect approximately 200 people per year in the United States. Signs and symptoms of the disease include fever, rash, cough, high grade-fever, gastrointestinal complications, and more. The disease cannot be spread from human to human, and infection typically occurs through a vector such as wild game, a household pet, or a tick. However, humans can also be infected through handling infected materials and or consuming contaminated water. Due to the high virulence of the bacteria, those who come into contact with contaminated materials are nearly always going to develop tularemia.
We hope listeners will walk away from our podcast with a newfound knowledge of tularemia and how to keep themselves and loved ones safe from the disease. You'll find while listening that the take home message isn't that tularemia is the "killer" but instead why and how tularemia is the "killer."
Produced by Ashley Fakolujo, Baile Giovanoli and Giao Nguyen

These podcast episodes were created by members of the 2024 Spring Capstone course in the Human Biology and Society major at UCLA's Institute for Society and Genetics (https://socgen.ucla.edu/). The faculty sponsor is Christopher Kelty. For questions or concerns email [email protected]. For more information about any of these diseases please consult the US Centers for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/) .

Previous Episode

Parrot fever! Psittacosis in depth

Psittacosis, also known as parrot fever, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. It typically affects birds, particularly parrots, but can be transmitted to humans through inhalation of contaminated dust from bird droppings or respiratory secretions. In humans, psittacosis can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a dry cough. If left untreated, it can lead to severe pneumonia and other complications. Treatment typically involves antibiotics, such as doxycycline. Our podcast explores Psittacosis outbreaks and how we can apply approaches to Psittacosis risk mitigation and surveillance to Avian influenza.
Produced by Ivy Vo, Isiah Espiritu and Juliet Hagar

Next Episode

The Hidden History of the Hantavirus

Dive into the history and contemporary relevance of the hantavirus, a deadly zoonotic disease that first emerged in the American Southwest. Our podcast explores the 1993 Four Corners outbreak that significantly impacted the Navajo Nation, delving into the scientific discoveries, epidemiological challenges, and cultural responses to this mysterious virus. We'll take you through the 2012 Yosemite outbreak, revealing how a popular national park became the epicenter of another hantavirus scare, and the measures taken to contain it.

In light of recent events, we draw compelling parallels between these hantavirus outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how similarities in respiratory symptoms can complicate diagnoses and treatment. As we look to the future, we consider the potential for hantavirus to become a larger threat and discuss preventive strategies to mitigate the risk of future pandemics.
Produced by Bella Valente, Chloe Nelson, and Sara Herro.