Infection-pollution
Infection and pollution are two different problems. Infection can be caused by an invasion of a pathogen microorganism to an organism’s body tissues. Pollution on the other hand, is the prelusion of contaminants into the natural environment causing negative changes. It can take many forms, it can be mass or energy pollution, depending on the pollutants and depending on the sinks or the receivers, can take place on land, sea or air.
Both meanings are strongly connected when environmental factors are included. Waste landfills can be potential infection sites and at the same time from littering disposal can be caused soil contamination.
Insofar, these two meanings can be caused from human activities but ecosystems and nature can sometimes boost these problems. Excellent examples are the Zika and West Nile fever with fast transmissions because of the mosquitos and birds serving as reservoir hosts. In 2012 the US suffered 286 deaths from the West Nile virus (NBC, 2013) and it is spreading on an ongoing basis in Africa, Europe, Austalia and even Canada. The important mosquito vectors vary according to area; in the United States, Culex pipiens (Eastern United States, and urban and residential areas of the United States north of 36–39°N), Culex tarsalis (Midwest and West), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Southeast) are the main vector species (Hayes et al., 2005).
Picture 1. Micrograph of the West Nile virus and a Culex quinquefasciatus (News medical and life sciences, 2017; Uniprot, 2002)
Moreover, humanity has to face the pollution and not to underestimate it. On the Odaw river near Accra, Ghana, there is a slum which is known as place of electronic scrap dumping. It is supported to be the center of illegal e-waste exportation from many industrialized nations. However, the necessary evidence are missing and it is a major case of environmental justice (Ababio, 2013).
Picture 2. Cows grazing on a field of e-waste (Aljazeera, 2014)
Pollution can occur even at stronger financially countries like Russia. Dzerzhinsk located near Moscow, was the center of industrial chemical and weaponry production. According to Pure Earth (former Blacksmith Institute), Dzerzhinsk is one of the worst polluted cities of the world (ΒΙ, 2002).
Picture 3. Lake of Dzerzhinsk’s outskirts (Photos by Lana Sator)
Sources
Ababio-Oteng Martin (2013) Unscripted (in)Justice: Exposure to Ecological Hazards in Metropolitan Accra, Environment and Planning (Retrieved 12/8/2017 from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1068/a45256 )
Aljazeera (2014) Ghana’s e-waste magnet (retrieved 12/08/2017 from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/01/pictures-ghana-e-waste-mecca-2014130104740975223.html )
BI-Blacksmith institute (2002) Gavrilovka Groundwater Pollution (Retrieved 12/08/2017 from http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/projects/display/166 )
Edward B. Hayes, Nicholas Komar, Roger S. Nasci, Susan P. Montgomery, Daniel R. O'Leary, and Grant L. Campbell (2005) Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics of West Nile Virus Disease , Emerging infectious diseases , Vol 11 No8 (Retrieved 12/08/2017 from https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/8/05-0289a_article )
Lana Sator’s photos (Retrieved 12/08/2017 from http://russiatrek.org/blog/photos/the-most-polluted-lake-in-the-world-located-near-dzerzhinsk/ )
NBC (2013) 2012 was deadliest year for West Nile in US (Retrieved 12/08/2017 from http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/13/18232095-2012-was-deadliest-year-for-west-nile-in-us-cdc-says)
News Medical life sciences (2017) retrieved 12/08/2017 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/West-Nile-Virus.aspx )
Unipot (2002) (Retrived 12/08/2017 from http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/7176 )
