Beware Resurgence of Deadly Diseases, Part 1

From Typhoid fever; its causation, transmission and prevention. 1908. Authors: Whipple, George Chandler, and Sedgwick, W. T. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14740561216/ No known copyright restrictions.

by Kathie MM

You have probably read about the resurgence of long-suppressed infectious diseases such as malaria and typhoid fever. Drug-resistant forms of malaria are reaching epidemic levels in Asia and drug-resistant forms of typhoid  are doing the same in Africa.

Bad news. But there is even worse news in the U.S. and other Western nations. An old and deadly type of pathology appears to be approaching epidemic proportions, but efforts at prevention and cure are miniscule.

Causes, symptoms, and contexts of  racialopathy:

Causes of racialopathy: Various forms of fear, often linked to misinformation, miseducation, greed, and power-mongering; transmutations of fear into hatred not unusual.

Racialopathy pathogens: Fear of loss of power, of presumptive superiority, of ability to define and enforce “rights,” of assurance that only you and people like you have the “true” religion, the best customs, the valid beliefs, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Racialopathy social contexts: Racialopathy pathogens flourish in particular social contexts and emotional climates that vary depending on political, economic, and psychological conditions; for example, are relationships characterized by cooperation and tolerance or by and divisiveness? Is the dominant mood of the times friendly and optimistic or is it hateful, punitive, and distrustful?

Symptoms of racialopathy: Hatred of people based only on the color of their skin; threatening, cursing, or attacking others based solely on their “otherness.”

Prevention of racialopathy: Inoculations–measured exposure of vulnerable individuals to those feared “others”–can be helpful as can changes in the social climate (often accomplished in democracies through elections and other political processes).

Experiences with racialopathy:

— Have you ever been stricken with racialopathy? How did you treat it?

— Are you a caregiver for a victim of this dread disease? How do you deal with it?

— If you have this problem in your family, have you found it to be contagious?

For  ideas on prevention and cure, tune in for upcoming posts.