Geographical Aspects of the Emergence of Infectious Diseases

Poo gurus? Researching the threats and opportunities presented by human waste

“…1 Although geographers have carried out some fascinating work on animal manure as a pollutant (Lowe et al, 1997;Seymour and Clark, 1991;Ivey et al, 2006) and a fertilizer (Chisholm, 1961;Baker, 1973;Widgren, 1979;Adams and Mortimore, 1997;Harris, 1999;Harris and Yusuf, 2001;Matless, 2001;Robbins, 2004;Jewitt and Baker, 2006;Baker and Jewitt, 2007;Grantham, 2007;Ingram, 2008;Williams, 2008), only a small number of geographers have been actively engaged in research that deals with human waste; and most of this work deals with it in somewhat tangential (though nonetheless important) ways. Examples include research within medical geography on faecal transmission routes (Anderson, 1947;May, 1950;1952;Howe, 1963;1980;Haviland, 1982;Haggett, 1994;Rupke, 2000;Smallman-Raynor et al, 2001;2004a;2004b;Cliff et al, 2004;Abrahams, 2006), cultural and historical geographies of agriculture, organicism, sanitation and cholera (Bacon 1956;Smith 1975;Kearns 1984;1989;1991;Sheail 1993;Colten 1994;Goddard 1996: Matless, 2001Gandy, 2005Krantz, 2006: McFarlane, 2008a) and wider theoretical conceptualisations of dirt (Krantz 2006;…”

The potential for emergence of Chagas disease in the United States

“…Specifically, in the medical field, global travel, increased urbanization, and suburbanization have played a role in the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), dengue fever, and Lyme disease (Haggett, 1994;Cooke and Shapiro, 2003). Additionally, there are indications that climate change particularly contributes to the spread of parasitic diseases into new locations.…”

Van natuurlandschap tot risicomaatschappij : De geografie van de relatie tussen mens en milieu

“…Naast het uitoefenen van internationale politieke druk wordt er hard gewerkt aan detectiemethoden en vaccins. Haggett (1994Haggett ( , 2000 zoekt de verklaringen voor het opduiken van steeds nieuwe besmettelijke infectieziekten en de terugkeer van oude ziekten vooral in de veranderingen die zich hebben voorgedaan in de mondiale leefomgeving. Deze leefomgeving is van groot belang, omdat de relatie tussen ziekteverwekker en mens zich binnen deze omgeving afspeelt.…”