You will explore a variety of diseases that affect the blood and how they have become a part of the human enviroment.

West Nile Virus

The West Nile virus was first detected in 1937. This virus consisted of a fever and infection in humans in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In the year 2000, the West Nile Virus out broke in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York City. These people infected had inflammation of the brain. Eighty-three human had the illness, nine died.
You may be wondering how mosquitoes get this virus. When mosquitoes feed on birds and other animals with high level of West Nile Virus they catch it, then some mosquitoes bite us humans and they transmitted into our blood. You can prevent taking in this virus by wearing long sleeves and bug-spray.

Diabetes

People who have diabetes cannot make or use insulin properly. Insulin is a chemical that your body needs to change some foods and sugar into glucose, which fuels your body. More than 16 million Americans have diabetes, resulting in many food and drink products being made with “little or no sugar added”. Diabetics cannot eat foods with too much sugar, they always check their sugar level and take pills and shots containing insulin to make sure that their sugar or glucose level is under control. You can get diabetes from your genetics, meaning your grandparents or parents. Children can also get diabetes if their sugar levels get out of control.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a very serious disease affecting many people around the world. The HIV virus can only affect human being, but there are similar diseases existing in animals. The letters in HIV stand for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV/AIDS is such a big threat to us because the virus is mostly passed through body fluids, like blood. HIV/AIDS creates a problem in your immune system and in result makes your immune system fail to block out viruses and diseases. Viruses are able to reproduce by themselves repetitively. This means that HIV/AIDS is very hard to stop or cure. HIV/AIDS has no known cure yet, but many scientists and chemists are hoping to cure it soon.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells; to be more specific a cancer of the white blood cells. Scientist do not know the causes of leukemia, but do know how to treat it. Some symptoms of leukemia are bones or joint pain, loss of appetite, frequent infections, and fever/chills flu-like symptoms.

Blood Clots

Blood clots happen when mucus blocks blood veins disabling blood to circulate. Blood clots can lead to heart attack or instant death. There are medications patients with blood clots or elders can take to prevent clots or prevent too much mucus from entering causing a high chance of death. You can prevent blood clots by watching your diet. Eating good meals with less fat will help prevent blood clots.

First the cells that line the inner layer of a blood vessel become hurt, which can be just from a little cut. Then, blood platelets rush to the injury. After, the platelets release a chemical substance that attracts more platelets to wound. Meanwhile, other substances combine with platelets to form a blood clot. This process is coagulation. In the end, fibrin is made. Fibrin is a thread-like protein that helps stabilize the clots in the blood. Platelet- a part in the body chiefly responsible for blood clotting.

Picture of Blood clot:

Blood Transfusions

A blood transfusion is when blood is transferred from person into the circulatory system of another person. The process of a blood transfusion can treat many illnesses, restore blood loss, and control the loss of red blood cells. This surgery must be matched by blood type; a person who has an A positive blood type needs an A positive transfusion. The blood used in a blood transfusion is donated in blood drives all around the world.

Blood Transfusions from animals to animals

A blood transfusion is normally from human to human; however, now there are cases that involve animals donating blood for other animals. When this type of blood transfusion is needed, a veterinarian must find a match for the animal blood type to another animal’s blood type. This process is very rare and not used often.