4. Dreadful Diseases

Dreadful Diseases

AIDS, Cancer and very recently SARS are considered as dreadful diseases. The diseases cancer and AIDS have been known for few decades while the disease SARS has been identified only recently i.e. about one decade back.

SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome): Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a mysterious cold killer and it is a communicable viral disease caused by a new strain of corona virus. This SARS virus was officially declared the causative agent on 16 th April 2003 by WHO.

SARS mostly spread through close contact with an infected person (droplet transmission) when that person sneezes and cough droplets escape into air. The most common symptoms in patient progressing to SARS include fever, malaise, chills, headache, myalgia, dizziness, cough, sore throat and running nose etc. In some cases there is rapid deterioration with low oxygen saturation and acute respiratory distress requiring ventilator support. It is capable of causing death in as many as 10 per cent of cases.

CANCER: Cancer may be regarded as a group of diseases characterized by an (i) abnormal growth of cells (ii) ability to invade adjacent tissues and even distant organs, and (iii) the eventual death of the affected patient if the tumour has progressed beyond that stage when it can be successfully removed. Cancer can occur at any site or tissue of the body and may involve any type of cells. Environmental factors include tobacco, alcohol, dietary factors, occupational exposures, viruses, parasites, life styles (customs and habits), radiation, air and water pollutants, pesticides etc. They act as agents causing cancer.

Attribution: "Science and Technology" by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University
Unit : 05  ,    Page No: 55 - 71