Infectious Diseases in the News (Essay Sample)

HIV/AIDS emerged widely at the beginning of 1980s; scientists believed that the world was on the verge of wiping out infectious diseases from the globe. A U.S surgeon William Stewart, in 1969, declared that the word can now close the book on infectious diseases. Therefore, when the world managed to eradicate smallpox, in 1980, a disease that had killed over 500 million people in the 20th century alone the belief seemed justified (Walsh n. Pag.).
A new infectious disease, which jumped from chimpanzees to humans crushed that impression quickly, as did the other infectious diseases that emerged in the years that followed: SARS, Avian Flu, Nipah virus, and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The natural world was still much more capable of coming up with new infectious diseases, which was still capable of killing human beings (Walsh n.pag.). 
The world is gripped with more emerging infectious diseases, for example, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). MERS virus initially emerged in the Middle East, infecting at least 79 people, before spreading to China, where it killed at least 775 people (Walsh n.pag.). Half of the people confirmed with MERS have died. Although recent studies show that the virus is relatively a low-level virus, which is less than strong incidences of flu, and measles, there is no guarantee that the disease will not mutate with time. 
The effect of global warming is also facilitating the growing threat of certain infectious diseases. Malaria, which causes the death of 650,000 people annually, thrives are hot and humid areas (Walsh n.pag.). Some infectious diseases like dengue fever have emerged in areas where they were wiped years ago. Climate change is a primary cause of the spread of infectious disease in the future. 
Works Cited
Walsh, Brayn. From AIDS to SARS to MERS, Emerging Infectious Diseases Remain a Dire Threat. Web.10 July 2013. Retrieved from Science Time: http://science.time.com/2013/07/10/from-aids-to-sars-to-mers-emerging-infectious-diseases-remain-a-dire-threat/
Walsh, Bryan. Infectious Disease Could Become More Common in a Warmer World — Especially for Plants and Animals. Web.2 August 2013. Retrieved from Science Time: http://science.time.com/2013/08/02/infectious-disease-could-be-more-common-in-a-warmer-world-especially-for-plants-and-animals/