Tropical diseases

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Tropical diseases

Tropical diseases (pronunciation: /ˈtrɒpɪkəl diːˈziːz/) are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forcing hibernation.

Etymology

The term "tropical" refers to the geographical area in which these diseases are most prevalent, the tropics. The term "disease" comes from the Old French desaise, meaning lack of ease, discomfort, or distress.

Related Terms

  • Infectious disease: Diseases caused by biological agents, which can be transmitted to others, rather than by genetic, physical or chemical agents.
  • Parasitic disease: Diseases caused by parasites, such as malaria and schistosomiasis.
  • Vector (epidemiology): Any agent (person, animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism.
  • Endemic (epidemiology): The constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area or population group.
  • Epidemic: The rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time.

List of Tropical Diseases

  • Malaria: A mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals.
  • Dengue fever: A mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus.
  • Yellow fever: An acute viral disease.
  • Chikungunya: An infection caused by the Chikungunya virus.
  • Zika virus: A member of the virus family Flaviviridae and the genus Flavivirus, transmitted by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes.
  • Leishmaniasis: A disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly.
  • Schistosomiasis: A disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes.
  • Trypanosomiasis: A parasitic disease of humans and animals.
  • Lymphatic filariasis: A parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms.

See Also

External links

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