Refugees and Internally-Displaced Persons
Background ■ Refugee (based on the 1951 Convention’s Article One): an individual, who, because of actual and present fear of hostility and treatment, as a result of his/her ethnic group,…
Before You Leave Home: Immunizations and Preventive Measures for Travel
Introduction When disaster strikes, time is of the essence. Disaster responders, including medical personnel, who travel to respond to a disaster may not dedicate the same amount of time and…
Public Health and Field Epidemiology
Site Selection/Establishing Camp Responders to a disaster are rarely afforded the luxury of selecting a site for creating a displaced persons camp. Despite the realities of establishing field operations in…
Environmental Diseases and Injuries
Environmental Diseases In the following pages the most common environmental diseases will be presented. They will be divided according to the causative factor. Basic Physics Definitions Definitions below will be…
Global Toxicology
General Principles Within developed countries, regulatory and engineering controls have largely limited the population’s exposure to many fatal pesticides and industrial toxins; however, worldwide, poisoning accounts for substantial morbidity and…
Nutritional Diseases of Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Introduction Nutrition is a fundamental domain of global health; it is fundamental to the health of individuals, the stability of populations, and the academic discipline that is global health. Nutrition…
Bites and Stings
Bites Reptiles A. Snakes 1. Overview: Snake venom often has both hemotoxic and neurotoxic properties, but one usually predominates over another according to the species. Of all snakebites, 25% to…
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Diseases Characterized by Genital, Anal, orPerianal Ulcers 1. General Management a. Genital herpes, syphilis, and chancroid have been associated with an increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition and…
Global Infectious Diseases: Four Steps Toward a Differential Diagnosis
Symptoms and Signs Fever 1. Etiologies to think about a. Malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis, Chagas’ disease, relapsing fever, rickettsial infections, arboviral diseases (e.g., dengue fever), rabies, typhoid/paratyphoid, leptospirosis, tuberculosis,…
Laboratory Techniques and Procedures
Introduction Although most routine microbiology diagnostic laboratories process specimens for the diagnosis of parasitic infections, there are no best practice guidelines either for processing or for referral to specialist centers….
