Number of annual cases in Switzerland: 0 since the 90s
Number of annual cases worldwide: 1000-3000
Plague is a zoonosis, namely a disease that is transmitted from animals (typically rodents) to humans. History has three major plague epidemics, the first of which dates back to the year 541 and lasted more than two centuries throughout the Mediterranean basin, and the last broke out in Hong Kong in 1894, the year of the discovery of the bacillus of disease by Yersin. There are three forms of plague in humans, the most contagious – and deadly – of which is pneumonic plague.
Number of annual cases in Switzerland: 0 since 1982
Number of annual cases worldwide: approx. 900 (in 2022)
Polio – short for poliomyelitis – is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by direct contact (e.g. dirty hands, water, food). According to the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP), less than 1% of infected people (especially children under 5 years old) develop flaccid paralysis, particularly in the arms or legs. The disease is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a vaccination campaign was recently launched in the Gaza Strip after the detection of a variant of the poliovirus.
Number of annual cases in Switzerland: unknown
Number of annual cases worldwide: unknown
The so-called “sailors’ disease” – who went to sea for long periods, without being able to eat fresh food – is caused by a prolonged deficiency of vitamin C. Eradicated in the 19th century, it is returning due to modern diets. rich in processed products and poor in vitamins, particularly among disadvantaged populations. Scurvy manifests itself by bleeding gums, loose teeth or even thinning hair. In 2022, a 5-year-old child suffering from the disease was admitted to HUG.
Number of annual cases in Switzerland: 0 since 1999
Number of annual cases worldwide: 59,000 (mortals)
Already known in Mesopotamia (around 2000 BC), rabies is most often transmitted to humans through the saliva of an infected animal, typically during a bite or scratch. The virus attacks the central nervous system, almost always resulting in death if the person is not treated immediately after infection. According to the World Health Organization, rabies is present in more than 150 countries and territories, mainly in Asia and Africa. A Canadian child recently died from it.
Number of annual cases in Switzerland: unknown
Number of annual cases worldwide: env. 400 millions
This contagious disease, known since Antiquity, which mainly affects children, is caused by mites, sarcoptes, which lay their eggs under the skin, causing itching and skin rashes. During the two world wars, scabies (or scabiosis) was very common among soldiers or in orphanages, due to promiscuity. As it is not a notifiable disease, we do not know the exact number of cases in Switzerland.
Number of annual cases in Switzerland: env. 550
Number of annual cases worldwide: env. 9 millions
It is the illness from which Molière and Chopin died, and which inspired Alexandre Dumas to write his famous “Lady of the Camellias”. It was then called “phthisis”. Tuberculosis already existed among prehistoric men and in Greek Antiquity. This respiratory condition, which manifests itself by coughing and sputum, was very common until the 20th century and the advent of penicillin. Today, most cases recorded in Switzerland affect migrants from countries where the disease is endemic, according to the OFSP.
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