Disease Fact Sheets

Ascariasis

Ascariasis, also known as roundworm, is an intestinal infection caused by the parasitic worm Ascaris lumbricoides, and is part of a family of parasites known as the soil-transmitted helminths

Hookworm

Hookworm is an intestinal parasite most commonly found in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide, particularly in Africa and Latin America.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) refers to a group of over 100 related viruses that infect the squamous epithelial cells – thin, flat cells that line the surface of the skin, cervix, vagina, anus, vulva, head of the penis, mouth, and throat. The different HPV viruses are known as types and noted with a number. About 60 types of HPVs cause warts on non-genital skin, such as hands or feet, and the other 40 types primarily affect the genitals.

Lymphatic Filariasis

Lymphatic Filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, affects more than 120 million people in 80 countries worldwide, and is an extremely painful, debilitating and disfiguring disease.

Onchocerciasis

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, infects 37 million people living near the rivers and fast-moving streams of sub-Saharan Africa.

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae also known as pneumococcus. It is a leading killer of both children and adults around the globe.

Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a viral infection transmitted via the fecal-oral route, and via respiratory secretions. It is the single leading cause of diarrhea among infants and young children in the world. In developing countries, over half a million children die from rotavirus every year, making it the most common cause of diarrheal deaths among young children. Another two million children are severely sickened and hospitalized by the disease.

Rubella

Rubella, also known as German measles, is an infection caused by a virus. Rubella is characterized by a low-grade fever and diffuse rash, although up to half of infections occur without rash. While rubella infections are relatively benign, they can cause severe birth defects, known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), if contracted by a woman early in her pregnancy.