Produced by Film Australia
This
series helps to put into perspective the AIDS epidemic that is sweeping the
global community. It shows how events in history such as war, famine, and natural
disasters have spawned deadly epidemics. It follows society's efforts to investigate
and curb these outbreaks.
Filmed in the U.S., Hungary, India and Australia, this episode investigates through various case studies how epidemics break out. A virus alone does not make an epidemic. Many factors working together cause a disease to spread from its isolated origins. On the Baltimore docks, for example, rats are carrying a disease called Korean hemorrhagic fever. The disease, with its origins in 9th century China, re-emerged during the Korean War when burning brush caused rats to migrate to the port of Seoul. Now the rats have surfaced in Baltimore, bringing with them the risk of infection. This program also covers environmental ailments such as Karpal Tunnel Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and heart disease.
Part
2: Epidemics Concentrating on bubonic plague (Black Death) and cholera, this film gives a historical account of the spread of these diseases as man explored his world. When feudalism declined and trade developed in the 14th century, contact with new areas brought waves of epidemics. It is estimated that a quarter of the population died. In an effort to stem the epidemic, the Italian states isolated visitors for 40 days. "Quarantana" proved unsuccessful since it was actually the rodent population that was spreading the disease. The bubonic plague never really disappeared; in fact a kindergarten teacher died from it in 1980 in Lake Tahoe.
This program explores the relationship between the immune system and history. Smallpox and measles were crowd diseases prevalent in the teaming cities of the ancient Near East. Malaria and yellow fever were infections endemic to Africa. The program traces the decimation of Native Americans by measles, small pox and cholera as well as the rampage of syphilis and gonorrhea in Hawaii after Captain Cook landed.
The slave trade was also affected by disease. Slave ships were conduits for the exchange of germs between the crew and human cargo. Certainly the ambitions of European colonizers were curtailed by tropical illnesses until the discovery of quinine allowed them to go into areas they had previously feared to tread. Today, the Yanomami of Brazil are being decimated by white man's diseases, while in Los Angeles, measles rages through the Hispanic population.
Part
4: Will We Ever Learn? Sixteenth century Italy saw the scourge of a brutal epidemic of syphilis. It remained a deadly disease until the discovery of penicillin in the20th century. In 1975, the big health problem in the gay community was gonorrhea and syphilis, but the medical profession relied on antibiotics instead of encouraging safe sex. When AIDS arrived in the 1980's it found an unprotected community among gay men. There are many similarities between syphilis and AIDS. Syphilis, like AIDS, occurred in young people living in urban areas. The early stages of both disease are difficult to recognize. Both diseases were considered shameful. Ironically, syphilis has re-emerged among the poor populations of our major cities. This program shows the interaction between the two epidemics, HIV and syphilis, fostered by drug use and prostitution.
Each program: 52 min. Video or DVD. Sale $295. Video rental $75. Series: Sale $795. Video rental $200.
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