query: Islam is the second-largest religion in the world.

pos: Islam Islam ( -LSB- ˈɪslɑːm -RSB- There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English , differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress , whether the s is -LSB- slinkz -RSB- or -LSB- slinks -RSB- , and whether the a is pronounced -LSB- slinkɑː -RSB- , -LSB- slinkæ -RSB- or ( when the stress is on the first syllable ) -LSB- slinkə -RSB- ( Merriam Webster ) . The most common are -LSB- ˈɪzləm , _ ˈɪsləm , _ ɪzˈlɑːm , _ ɪsˈlɑːm -RSB- ( Oxford English Dictionary , Random House ) and -LSB- ˈɪzlɑːm , _ ˈɪslɑːm -RSB- ( American Heritage Dictionary ) . الإسلام , -LSB- alʔisˈlaːm -RSB- ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one and incomparable God ( Allah ) and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God . It is the world 's second-largest religion and the fastest-growing major religion in the world , with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1 % of the global population , known as Muslims . Islam teaches that God who is merciful , all-powerful , and unique has guided mankind through prophets , revealed scriptures and natural signs . The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran , viewed by Muslims as the verbatim word of God , and the teachings and normative example ( called the sunnah , composed of accounts called hadith ) of Muhammad ( 570 -- 8 June 632 CE ) .   Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam , Abraham , Moses , and Jesus . As for the Quran , Muslims consider it to be the unaltered and final revelation of God . Like other Abrahamic religions , Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded paradise and unrighteous are punished in hell . Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam , which are obligatory acts of worship , and following Islamic law , which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society , from banking and welfare to women and the environment . The cities of Mecca , Medina and Jerusalem are home to the three holiest sites in Islam .   Islam originated in the early 7th century in Mecca , and by the 8th century the Islamic empire extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east . The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century when much of the historically Islamic world was experiencing a scientific , economic and cultural flourishing . The expansion of the Muslim world involved various caliphates and empires , traders and conversion to Islam by missionary activities .   Most Muslims are of one of two denominations : Sunni ( 75 -- 90 % ) or Shia ( 10 -- 20 % ) . About 13 % of Muslims live in Indonesia , the largest Muslim-majority country , 31 % in South Asia , the largest population of Muslims in the world , 23 % in the Middle East-North Africa , where it is the dominant religion , and 15 % in Sub-Saharan Africa . Sizable Muslim communities are also found in the Americas , Caucasus , China , Europe , Mainland Southeast Asia , Philippines and Russia . Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world .

neg: Political Islam The term Political Islam is a recently developed term . It is used to label the wide-scale activities of individuals or organizations heading towards the transformation of the state and entire society according to '' Islamic '' rules . It is based on Islam which is a complex of political persuasion and fundamental Islamic books -- Koran , Sira ( the biography of Mohammed ) , and Hadith ( Mohammed 's traditions ) . The term is often used in connection with the movements which represent the current political powers in the name of Islam , emerging at the end of 20th century . It is also used as a term describing political activities stemming from basic Islamic books aiming predominantly at Non-Muslims .   Political Islam is often confused with Islamism . However , Political Islam is not only a synonym for violent , radical or extreme Islamism . On the contrary , an overwhelming majority of Islamic political activity is carried out by peaceful means and often within a constitutional framework ( e.g. Arbitration Act from 1996 , where Sharia courts became a part of official British Law ) . International activities of extremists including terrorist acts are an exception not the rule if we talk about political activities executed in the name of Islam . Although this term is often used for organized groups , movements or parties , it can also concern a great number of the individuals who share basic goals and background of Political Islam without any direct connection to a party or group .

neg: Religion in Pakistan The state religion in Pakistan is Islam , which is practiced by about 95 -- 98 % of the 195,343,000 people of the nation . The remaining 2 -- 5 % practice Christianity , Hinduism and other religions . Muslims are divided into the following sects : the majority of them practice Sunni Islam , while 5 -- 20 % are Shias and 0.22 % -2.2 % are Ahmadi . Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Fiqh Islamic law school . The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Ithnā ` Ashariyyah Islamic law school , with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism , which is composed of Nizari ( Aga Khanis ) , Mustaali , Dawoodi Bohra , Sulaymani , and others .

neg: Rahmanism Raḥmānism ( from Old South Arabian rḥmn-n `` the Merciful '' ) ( Ar : الرحمن ) ( Musnad : ð © § ð © cents ð © # ð © ¬ ) refers to one or more monotheistic religions which ousted the polytheistic Old South Arabian religion from the 4th century AD . Since the sole indication of Raḥmānism is the mention of a monotheistic God , it is difficult to establish whether Raḥmānism is an homogenous religion or whether it can be identified with another monotheist  From the second half of the fourth century the `` Merciful '' ( Old South Arabian rḥmn-n , where the - n is the definite article ) and `` the Lord of Heaven and Earth '' are increasingly invoked . A number of inscriptions as well as archaeological synagogues show that Judaism had played an important role in South Arabia since the 4th Century , but it is not clear whether all the Raḥmānist inscriptions of this time should be construed as Jewish ; at the same time it is conceivable that Raḥmānism also involved an autochthonous monotheistic religion in its own right . Distinct references to Christians in South Arabia are found at the beginning of the 6th century when a Christian community in the city of Najrān fell victim to a pogrom initiated by the Jewish king Yūsuf Asʾar Yathʾar . Some consider this event politically motivated while others claim it to be the result of religious zeal . The slaughter is probably that which is alluded to in the Quranic reference to the ` People of the Ditch ( Aṣḥābu Ukhdūd ) , which describes a group of people being thrust into a ditch of fire because of their faith . Apart from being the word for ` ditch ' Ukhdūd is also the name of a place just south-west of modern Najrān . As a result of this massacre the Christian Aksumite Kingdom marched into South Arabia and enforced Christianity as the official religion , which was then supplanted by Islam in 632 . Christian communities are documented right up till the 13th century in Najrān and till the 16th century in Soqotra . Christian communities are documented ; Jewish communities persist until today .

neg: Ahmadiyya in Australia Ahmadiyya is an Islamic movement in Australia , first formally founded in the country in the 1980s , during the era of the fourth caliph . However , the history of the Community dates back to the early 20th century , during the lifetime of the founder of the movement , Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , with the first contacts arising as a consequence of Australians travelling to British India , and also as a consequence of early , `` Afghan '' camel drivers settling in Australia during the mid to late 19th century . Today there are at least four mosques , in four of the six Australian states , representing an estimated 3,000 Australian Ahmadi Muslims in the country .

neg: Religion in Sweden Lutheran Christianity is officially the largest religion in Sweden , with 6.1 million Swedish citizens being members of the Church of Sweden . The high membership figure is mainly due to the fact that until 1996 all newborn children with at least one parent being a member of the church were also made members . Other Christian Churches include the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church . Islam is the second largest religion in Sweden , practiced by 5 % of the population . The rest of the population are either irreligious or members of other religious groups .   Sweden was Christianized from Norse paganism during a long period , not final until the 1130s . Since the 16th century , Sweden has been predominantly Lutheran . From the Protestant Reformation in the 1530s until 2000 , the Lutheran Church of Sweden ( Svenska kyrkan ) was the state church . As of 2016 , 61.2 % of Swedish citizens are members of the Church of Sweden , compared to over 95 % in 1970 , and 83 % in 2000 .   Despite that , religion in Sweden plays a limited role compared to the European average , and even many church members participate in religious activities for only cultural reasons , and do not believe in Christianity . Atheism and agnosticism are widespread in Swedish society . In a Eurobarometer Poll in 2010 , just 18 % of Swedish citizens responded that `` they believe there is a god '' , although a further 45 % answered that `` they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force '' . In a 2009 Gallup poll , 17 % answered yes to the question `` Is religion an important part of your daily life ? '' . A survey found that only 15 % of Church of Sweden members actually believe in Jesus , while another 15 % identified as atheists , and a quarter as agnostic . Less than 4 % of the Church of Sweden membership attends public worship during an average week ; about 2 % are regular attendees . Some scholars consider the nation to be a place where religion is regarded with `` benign indifference '' .   The history of the Jews in Sweden can be traced back to the 17th century , and there are about 20,000 ethnic Jews in Sweden today , of whom about 7,000 belong to a Jewish religious congregation . Because of immigration in the latter part of the 20th century , there is today a sizeable minority of Muslims ( 5 % of population ) and Roman Catholics ( 2 % ) .

neg: Mary in Islam Mary ( -LSB- مريم , translit = Maryam -RSB- ) , the mother of Jesus ( Isa ) , holds a singularly exalted place in Islam as the only woman named in the Qur ' an , which refers to her seventy times and explicitly identifies her as the greatest of all women , stating , with reference to the angelic saluation during the annunciation , `` O Mary , God has chosen you , and purified you ; He has chosen you above all the women of creation . '' In the Quran , her story is related in three Meccan chapters ( 19 , 21 , 23 ) and four Medinan chapters ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 66 ) , and the nineteenth chapter of the scripture , the Chapter of Mary ( Surat Maryam ) , is named after her . The Quran refers to Mary more than the entire New Testament .   According to the Qur ' an , divine grace surrounded Mary from birth , and , as a young woman , she received a message from God through the archangel Gabriel that God had chosen her , purified her , and had preferred her above all `` the women of the worlds . '' This event , according to the same narrative , was followed by the annunciation of a child who was to be miraculously conceived by her through the intervention of the divine spirit while she was still virgin , whose name would be Jesus and who would be the `` anointed one , '' the Promised Messiah . As such , orthodox Islamic belief `` has upheld the tenet of the virgin birth of Jesus , '' and although the classical Islamic thinkers never dwelt on the question of the perpetual virginity of Mary at any great length , it was generally agreed in traditional Islam that Mary remained virgin through the entirety of her life , with the Qur ' an 's mention of Mary 's purification `` from the touch of men '' implying perpetual virginity in the minds of many of the most prominent Islamic fathers .

neg: Al-Islah (Yemen) The Yemeni Congregation for Reform , frequently called al-Islah ( -LSB- alʔisˤlaːħ -RSB- ; التجمع اليمني للإصلاح at-Tajammu ' u al-Yamanī lil-Iṣlāḥ ) , is a Yemeni Islamist party founded in 1990 by Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar , Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar , Abdul Majeed al-Zindani , Mohammed al-Yadumi and Yahya Rassam . The first article of Islah basic law defines it as `` a popular political organization that seeks reform of all aspects of life on the basis of islamic principles and teachings '' .   Islah is more of a loose coalition of tribal and religious elements than a political party . Its origins are in the Islamic Front , a Muslim Brotherhood affiliated militia funded by Saudi Arabia to combat the Marxist National Democratic Front . The Islamic Front regrouped after the unification of Yemen in 1990 under the banner of the Islah Party with considerable financial backing from Saudi Arabia . Islah has long been identified as a client of Saudi Arabia . In its official website , Islah summarizes its foreign policy agenda ; one of five major goals is `` strengthening our country 's relations with sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council . '' In addition , Saudi Arabia financed the so-called `` scientific institutes '' , Wahhabi Madrasas that were informally controlled by Islah . Militant Islam arose in Yemen as a result of substantial Saudi funding .   Islah differs from most other Arab Islamists . The party combines tribal influences along with those of the Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood and more radical Wahhabi groups . As a result , it faces deep internal divisions on key issues . Its fractious composition prevents it from developing a clear parliamentary platform , forcing it instead to balance tribal and political interests , differing interpretations of the party 's Islamist platform , and both loyalist and opposition constituencies . Given its origin as an alliance , Islah 's ideology remains vague and its political platform ambiguous . Islah could be best described as a conservative party that promotes tribal and religious values .   The Joint Meeting Parties came into existence in 2003 when Islah and the socialist party joined three other smaller parties to establish a joint opposition to the ruling general people 's congress . At the last legislative elections , 27 April 2003 , the party won 22.6 % of the popular vote and 46 out of 301 seats .   The party is a part of the Muslim Brotherhood , which is considered a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain , Egypt , Russia , Syria , Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates . However , since the civil war in Yemen , Saudi Arabia has forged closer relations with Al-Islah .

neg: Religious traditionalism in Iran Traditionalism is one of the three basic types of Islam in Iran : traditionalism ( traditional humanism ) , modernism , and a variety of forms of revivalism usually brought together as fundamentalism .   Until two hundred years ago , in spite of the many schools and interpretations , many Muslims in Iran lived within the tradition . It was a living tradition , emphasizing the harmony of law , art , and all forms of knowledge . Also a significant Iranian scholar followed the tradition of Persian sufism and pluralism . Currently in Iran there exist three main types of Islam : traditionalists ( represented by Hossein Nasr and Yousef Sanei ) , modernists ( represented by Abdolkarim Soroush ) and different groups under the conservative umbrella ( represented by Ruhollah Khomeini , Ali Khamenei , Mohammad-Taghi Bahjat , Naser Makarem Shirazi , Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi and Hossein Noori Hamedani ) . Iranian Islam differs from the mainstream Sunni Islam and may be better understood by studying the Shia history in Arabia and Iran .   Some groups of conservatives and Traditionals humanists have tendencies toward mystical spiritualism and some of them are less political ( or apolitcal ) .   In traditional schools , traditional astronomy and geometry are discussed as well as philosophy , Sufism and ethics .

neg: Hajj The Hajj ( -LSB- hædʒ -RSB- -LSB- `` pilgrimage '' ) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca , the most holy city of the Muslims , and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey , and can support their family during their absence . It is one of the five pillars of Islam , alongside Shahadah , Salat , Zakat , and Sawm . The Hajj is the largest annual gathering of people in the world . The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called istita'ah , and a Muslim who fulfills this condition is called a mustati . The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people , and their submission to God ( Allah ) . The word Hajj means `` to intend a journey '' , which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions .   The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th ( or in some cases 13th ) of Dhu al-Hijjah , the last month of the Islamic calendar . Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year , the Gregorian date of Hajj changes from year to year . Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and abstain from certain actions .   The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century , but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham . During Hajj , pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people , who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj , and perform a series of rituals : each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka'aba ( the cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for the Muslims ) , runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah , drinks from the Zamzam Well , goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil , spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa , and performs symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars . The pilgrims then shave their heads , perform a ritual of animal sacrifice , and celebrate the three-day global festival of Eid al-Adha .   Pilgrims can also go to Mecca to perform the rituals at other times of the year . This is sometimes called the `` lesser pilgrimage '' , or Umrah . However , even if they choose to perform the Umrah , they are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so , because Umrah is not a substitute for Hajj .

neg: Irreligion in Saudi Arabia Irreligion in Saudi Arabia is difficult to measure as it is illegal to leave the Islamic faith in the country . Most atheists in Saudi Arabia communicate with each other via the internet .   According to a Gallup poll , 19 % of Saudi Arabians are not religious and 5 % are atheists .   In March 2014 , the Saudi interior ministry issued a royal decree branding all atheists as terrorists , which defines terrorism as `` calling for atheist thought in any form , or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based . ''   Apostasy is punishable by the death penalty .

neg: Ali Ali ( -LSB- ˈɑːli , _ ɑːˈliː -RSB- -LSB- علي , ʿAlī -RSB- , -LSB- ʕaliː -RSB- ; 15 September 601 -- 29 January 661 ) was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad , the prophet of Islam . He ruled over the Caliphate from 656 to 661 , and was Imam of Shia Islam from 632 to 661 .   Born to Abu Talib and Fatimah bint Asad , ` Ali was the only person born in the sacred sanctuary of the Ka ` bah in Mecca , the holiest place in Islam , according to many classical Islamic sources , especially Shia ones . ` Ali was the first young male who accepted Islam . After migrating to Medina , he married Muhammad 's daughter Fatimah . Ali took part in the early caravan raids from Mecca and later in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community . He was appointed caliph by Muhammad 's Companions ( Sahaba ) in 656 , after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated . ` Ali 's reign saw civil wars and in 661 , he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa , dying two days later .   ` Ali is important to various Sunni and Shi`ite denominations politically , legislatively and spiritually . The numerous biographical sources about Ali are often biased due to sectarianism , but they agree that he was a pious Muslim , devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur ' an and the Sunnah . While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun ( rightly guided ) caliphs , Shi`ites regard ` Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad due to their interpretation of the events at Ghadir Khumm . Shias also believe that ` Ali and the other Shi`ite Imams ( all of whom are members of the Ahl al-Bayt , Muhammad 's household ) are the rightful successors to Muhammad . This disagreement split the Ummah ( Muslim community ) into the Sunni and Shia branches .

neg: Islam in Canada According to Canada 's 2011 National Household Survey , there were 1,053,945 Muslims in Canada or about 3.2 % of the population , making them the second largest religion after Christianity . In the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ) , 7.7 % of the population is Muslim , and in Greater Montreal , Muslims are 6 % of the total population . A majority of the Muslim population in Canada follows Sunni Islam , while a significant minority adhere to the Shia and Ahmadiyya branches .

neg: Hejaz The Hejaz , also Al-Hijaz ( اَلْـحِـجَـاز , , literally `` the Barrier '' ) , is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia . The region is so called as it separates the land of the Najd in the east from the land of Tihamah in the west . It is also known as the `` Western Province . '' It is bordered on the west by the Red Sea , on the north by Jordan , on the east by the Najd , and on the south by ` Asir Region . Its main city is Jeddah , but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina . As the site of Islam 's holiest places , the Hejaz has significance in the Arab and Islamic historical and political landscape .   Historically , the Hejaz has always seen itself as separate from the rest of Saudi Arabia . The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia ; 35 % of all Saudis live in Hejaz . Hejazi Arabic is the most widely spoken dialect in the region . Saudi Hejazis are of ethnically diverse origins .   The Hejaz is the most cosmopolitan region in the Arabian Peninsula . People of Hejaz have the most strongly articulated identity of any regional grouping in Saudi Arabia . Their place of origin alienates them from the Saudi state , which invokes different narratives of the history of the Arabian Peninsula . Thus , Hejazis experienced tensions with people of Najd .

neg: Mirza Tahir Ahmad Mirza Tahir Ahmad ( -LSB- ) ( 18 December 1928 -- 19 April 2003 ) was Khalifatul Masih IV ( خليفة المسيح الرابع , khalīfatul masīh al-rābi ) and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community . He was elected as the fourth successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on 10 June 1982 , the day after the death of his predecessor , Mirza Nasir Ahmad .   Following the Ordinance XX that was promulgated by the government of Pakistan in 1984 , which prohibited Ahmadi Muslims from any public expression of the Islamic faith , Tahir Ahmad left Pakistan and migrated to London , England , provisionally moving the headquarters of the community to the Fazl Mosque in London . He is noted particularly for his question and answer sessions which he held regularly with people from around the world and for his Quranic discourses . Under his leadership , there was an acceleration in the number of Quran translations produced by the community ; and during his caliphate , the community experienced structural and financial growth on an international level , including the launch of the first Muslim satellite television network , Muslim Television Ahmadiyya in 1994 through which he could communicate televised messages to the community globally and have his sermons and other public engagements transmitted throughout the world through this medium .   Tahir Ahmad also authored many books including , Some Distinctive Features of Islam ; Christianity : a Journey From Facts to Fiction ; Murder in the name of Allah , and his magnum opus Revelation , Rationality , Knowledge & Truth . He initiated various funds for humanitarian causes such as the Maryam Shaadi Fund , used to assist deserving parents in marrying off their daughters , the Sayyidna Bilal Fund , for  the welfare and upkeep of the families of martyrs who have been killed in the cause of the community and the Yatama Fund to provide financial assistance to orphans especially in Africa , India and Bangladesh . In 1994 , he also initiated the international charity organization Humanity First .

neg: Early Islamic philosophy Early Islamic philosophy or classical Islamic philosophy is a period of intense philosophical development beginning in the 2nd century AH of the Islamic calendar ( early 9th century CE ) and lasting until the 6th century AH ( late 12th century CE ) . The period is known as the Islamic Golden Age , and the achievements of this period had a crucial influence in the development of modern philosophy and science ; for Renaissance Europe , the influence represented `` one of the largest technology transfers in world history . '' . This period starts with al-Kindi in the 9th century and ends with Averroes ( Ibn Rushd ) at the end of 12th century . The death of Averroes effectively marks the end of a particular discipline of Islamic philosophy usually called the Peripatetic Arabic School , and philosophical activity declined significantly in Western Islamic countries , namely in Islamic Spain and North Africa , though it persisted for much longer in the Eastern countries , in particular Persia and India where several schools of philosophy continued to flourish : Avicennism , Illuminationist philosophy , Mystical philosophy , and Transcendent theosophy .   Some of the significant achievements of early Muslim philosophers included the development of a strict science of citation , the isnad or `` backing '' ; the development of a method of open inquiry to disprove claims , the ijtihad , which could be generally applied to many types of questions ( although which to apply it to is an ethical question ) ; the willingness to both accept and challenge authority within the same process ; recognition that science and philosophy are both subordinate to morality , and that moral choices are prior to any investigation or concern with either ; the separation of theology ( kalam ) and law ( shariah ) during the early Abbasid period , a precursor to secularism ; the distinction between religion and philosophy , marking the beginning of secular thought ; the beginning of a peer review process ; early ideas on evolution ; the beginnings of the scientific method , an important contribution to the philosophy of science ; the introduction of temporal modal logic and inductive logic ; the beginning of social philosophy , including the formulation of theories on social cohesion and social conflict ; the beginning of the philosophy of history ; the development of the philosophical novel and the concepts of empiricism and tabula rasa ; and distinguishing between essence and existence .   Saadia Gaon , David ben Merwan al-Mukkamas , Maimonides , and Thomas Aquinas , were influenced by the Mutazilite work , particularly Avicennism and Averroism , and the Renaissance and the use of empirical methods were inspired at least in part by Arabic translations of Greek , Jewish , Persian and Egyptian works translated into Latin during the Renaissance of the 12th century , and taken during the Reconquista in 1492 .   Early Islamic philosophy can be divided into clear sets of influences , branches , schools , and fields , as described below .

neg: National Islamic Front The National Islamic Front ( الجبهة الإسلامية القومية transliterated : al-Jabhah al-Islamiyah al-Qawmiyah ) was an Islamist political organization founded in 1976 and led by Dr. Hassan al-Turabi that influenced the Sudanese government starting in 1979 , and dominated it from 1989 to the late 1990s . It was one of only two Islamic revival movements to secure political power in the 20th century ( the other being the followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the Islamic Republic of Iran ) .   The NIF emerged from Muslim student groups that first began organizing in the universities during the 1940s , and its main support base has remained the college educated . It supported the maintenance of an Islamic state run on sharia and rejected the concept of a secular state . It took a `` top down '' or `` Islamisation from above '' approach of `` infiltrating Sudan 's state apparatus , army , and financial system '' . It demonstrated itself to be both politically adept and ruthless in its use of violence , in particular in the internal conflicts of the Second Sudanese Civil War and the Darfur conflict , as well in the provisioning of proxy forces such as the Lord 's Resistance Army , West Nile Bank Front and Uganda National Rescue Front II against Uganda .   In the late 1990s , the Front changed its name to National Congress , and the `` gross human rights violations '' of the regime 's early years gave way to `` more subtle methods of social control such as restrictions on the right to freedom of expression , opinion , religion , association , and movement . '' In 1999 al-Turabi and his supporters were expelled from the Congress by Sudan 's ruler Omar Hassan al-Bashir ,   and subsequently founded the rival Popular Congress Party which has remained in opposition .

neg: Post-monotheism In the philosophy of religion and theology , post-monotheism ( from Greek -LSB- : wikt : μόνος , μόνος -RSB- `` one '' and -LSB- : wikt : θεός , θεός -RSB- `` god , '' with the Latin prefix `` post - '' as in `` after '' or `` beyond '' ) is a term covering a range of different meanings that nonetheless share concern for the status of faith and religious experience in the modern or post-modern era . There is no one originator for the term . Rather , it has independently appeared in the writings of several intellectuals on the Internet and in print . Its most notable use has been in the poetry of Palestinian author Nidaa Khoury , and as a label for a `` new sensibility '' or theological approach proposed by the Islamic historian Christopher Schwartz .

neg: War against Islam War against Islam , also called the War on Islam or Attack on Islam , is a conspiracy theory narrative in Islamist discourse to describe an alleged conspiracy to harm , weaken or annihilate the societal system of Islam , using military , economic , social and cultural means . The perpetrators of the conspiracy are alleged to be non-Muslims ( kuffār ) , particularly the Western world and `` false Muslims '' , allegedly in collusion with political actors in the Western world . While the contemporary conspiracy theory narrative of the `` War against Islam '' mostly covers general issues of societal transformations in modernization and secularization as well as general issues of international power politics among modern states , the crusades are often narrated as its alleged starting point .   The phrase or similar phrases have been used by Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb , Ayatollah Khomeini , Anwar al-Awlaki , Osama bin Laden , Chechen militant Dokka Umarov , cleric Anjem Choudary , and Fort Hood murderer Nidal Malik Hasan . The English-language political neologism of `` War on Islam '' was coined in Islamist discourse in the 1990s and popularized as a conspiracy theory only after 2001 .   Jonathan Schanzer has argued that the historical Muslim indifference to the West turned to `` alarmed dislike '' with the beginning of Western military superiority in the 17th century . However , with the end of the era of Western colonialism , Islamist rage against non-Muslims and the governments of Muslim-majority countries stems not from alleged non-Muslim aggression and enmity , but from frustration over the unrelenting encroachment of western culture , technology , economies , and from a yearning for a `` return to the glorious days when Islam reigned supreme . ''

neg: Mahdi In Islamic eschatology , the Mahdi ( مهدي , ISO 233 : `` guided one '' ) is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for five , seven , nine , or nineteen years ( according to differing interpretations ) before the Day of Judgement ( , literally , the Day of Resurrection ) and will rid the world of evil .   There is no explicit reference to the Mahdi in the Qur ` an , but references to him are found in hadith ( the reports and traditions of Muhammad 's teachings collected after his death ) . According to Islamic tradition , the Mahdi 's tenure will coincide with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ ( Isa ) , who is to assist the Mahdi against the Masih ad-Dajjal ( literally , the `` false Messiah '' or Antichrist ) . Differences exist in the concept of the Mahdi between Shia Muslims and adherents of the Sunni tradition . For Sunnis , the Mahdi is the Muslims ' future leader who is yet to come . For most Shia Muslims , the Mahdi was born but disappeared and will remain hidden from humanity until he reappears to bring justice to the world , a doctrine known as the Occultation . For Twelver Shia , this `` hidden Imam '' is Muhammad al-Mahdi , the Twelfth Imam .   Throughout history , various individuals have claimed to be the Mahdi . These have included Muhammad Jaunpuri , founder of the Mahdavia sect ; the Báb ( Siyyid Ali Muhammad ) , founder of Bábism ; Muhammad Ahmad , who established the Mahdist state in Sudan in the late 19th century ; and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , founder of the Ahmadiyya sect .

neg: Islam in the Central African Republic Islam accounts for approximately 10 % ( 750,000 people ) of the population of the Central African Republic , making it the second most followed organized religion in the country after Christianity ( 80 % ) . The vast majority of Muslims are Sunni of Maliki school of jurisprudence . Most Central African Muslims live in the north-east , near the border with predominantly Muslim Chad and Sudan .


query: Lyme disease is contagious.

pos: Contagious disease A contagious disease is a subset category of transmissible diseases , which are transmitted to other persons , either by physical contact with the person suffering the disease , or by casual contact with their secretions or objects touched by them or airborne route among other routes .   Non-contagious infections , by contrast , usually require a special mode of transmission between persons or hosts . These include need for intermediate vector species ( mosquitoes that carry malaria ) or by non-casual transfer of bodily fluid ( such as transfusions , needle sharing or sexual contact ) .  The boundary between contagious and non-contagious infectious diseases is not perfectly drawn , as illustrated classically by tuberculosis , which is clearly transmissible from person to person , but was not classically considered a contagious disease . In the present day , most sexually transmitted diseases are considered contagious , but only some of them are subject to medical isolation .

pos: Lyme disease Lyme disease , also known as Lyme borreliosis , is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type . The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness on the skin , known as erythema migrans , that begins at the site of a tick bite about a week after it has occurred . The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful . Approximately 25 -- 50 % of infected people do not develop a rash . Other early symptoms may include fever , headache and feeling tired . If untreated , symptoms may include loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face , joint pains , severe headaches with neck stiffness , or heart palpitations , among others . Months to years later , repeated episodes of joint pain and swelling may occur . Occasionally , people develop shooting pains or tingling in their arms and legs . Despite appropriate treatment , about 10 to 20 % of people develop joint pains , memory problems , and feel tired for at least six months .   Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks of the Ixodes genus . Usually , the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours before the bacteria can spread . In North America , Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii are the cause . In Europe and Asia , the bacteria Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are also causes of the disease . The disease does not appear to be transmissible between people , by other animals , or through food . Diagnosis is based upon a combination of symptoms , history of tick exposure , and possibly testing for specific antibodies in the blood . Blood tests are often negative in the early stages of the disease . Testing of individual ticks is not typically useful .   Prevention includes efforts to prevent tick bites such as by wearing long pants and using DEET . Using pesticides to reduce tick numbers may also be effective . Ticks can be removed using tweezers . If the removed tick was full of blood , a single dose of doxycycline may be used to prevent development of infection , but is not generally recommended since development of infection is rare . If an infection develops , a number of antibiotics are effective , including doxycycline , amoxicillin , and cefuroxime . Treatment is usually for two or three weeks . Some people develop a fever and muscle and joint pains from treatment which may last for one or two days . In those who develop persistent symptoms , long-term antibiotic therapy has not been found to be useful .   Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere . It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States and 65,000 people a year in Europe . Infections are most common in the spring and early summer . Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme , Connecticut . It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis . The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer . Chronic symptoms are well described and are known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , although it is often called chronic Lyme disease . Some healthcare providers claim that it is due to ongoing infection ; however , this is not believed to be true . A previous vaccine is no longer available . Research is ongoing to develop new vaccines .

neg: Poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis , often called polio or infantile paralysis , is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus . In about 0.5 percent of cases there is muscle weakness resulting in an inability to move . This can occur over a few hours to a few days . The weakness most often involves the legs but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head , neck and diaphragm . Many but not all people fully recover . In those with muscle weakness about 2 to 5 percent of children and 15 to 30 percent of adults die . Another 25 percent of people have minor symptoms such as fever and a sore throat and up to 5 percent have headache , neck stiffness and pains in the arms and legs . These people are usually back to normal within one or two weeks . In up to 70 percent of infections there are no symptoms . Years after recovery post-polio syndrome may occur , with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to that which the person had during the initial infection .   Poliovirus is usually spread from person to person through infected fecal matter entering the mouth . It may also be spread by food or water containing human feces and less commonly from infected saliva . Those who are infected may spread the disease for up to six weeks even if no symptoms are present . The disease may be diagnosed by finding the virus in the feces or detecting antibodies against it in the blood . The disease only occurs naturally in humans .   The disease is preventable with the polio vaccine ; however , a number of doses are required for it to be effective . The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends polio vaccination boosters for travelers and those who live in countries where the disease is occurring . Once infected there is no specific treatment . In 2016 , polio affected 42 people , while there were about 350,000 cases in 1988 . In 2014 the disease was only spreading between people in Afghanistan , Nigeria , and Pakistan . In 2015 Nigeria had stopped the spread of wild poliovirus but it reoccurred in 2016 .   Poliomyelitis has existed for thousands of years , with depictions of the disease in ancient art . The disease was first recognized as a distinct condition by Michael Underwood in 1789 and the virus that causes it was first identified in 1908 by Karl Landsteiner . Major outbreaks started to occur in the late 19th century in Europe and the United States . In the 20th century it became one of the most worrying childhood diseases in these areas . The first polio vaccine was developed in the 1950s by Jonas Salk . It is hoped that vaccination efforts and early detection of cases will result in global eradication of the disease by 2018 .

neg: Salmonellosis Salmonellosis is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the Salmonella type . The most common symptoms are diarrhea , fever , abdominal cramps , and vomiting . This typically occurs half to three days after exposure with symptoms lasts four to seven days . Occasionally more significant disease can result in dehydration . The old , young , and others with a weak immune systems are more likely to develop severe disease . Specific types of Salmonella can result in typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever .   There are two species of Salmonella : Salmonella bongori and Salmonella enterica with many subtypes . Infection is usually spread via contaminated meat , eggs , or milk . Other foods may spread the disease if they have come into contact with manure . A number of pets may also carry the infection and spread the infection including , cats , dogs , and reptiles . Diagnosis is by a stool test .   Efforts to prevent the disease include proper preparation and cooking of food . Mild disease typically does not require specific treatment . More significant cases may need the treatment of electrolyte problems and the replacement of fluids by intravenous . In those at high risk or in whom the disease has spread outside the intestines , antibiotics are recommended .   Salmonellosis is one of the most common causes of diarrhea globally . In 2015 , 90,300 deaths occurred from non-typhoidal and 178,000 deaths from typhoidal salmonellosis . In the United States about 1.2 million cases and 450 deaths occur from non -- typhoidal salmonellosis a year . In Europe it is the second most common foodborne disease after campylobacteriosis .

neg: Erythema chronicum migrans Erythema chronicum migrans ( New Latin , literally , `` chronic migrating redness '' ) refers to the rash often ( though not always ) seen in the early stage of Lyme disease . It can appear anywhere from one day to one month after a tick bite . This rash does not represent an allergic reaction to the bite , but rather an actual skin infection with the Lyme bacteria , Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato . `` Erythema migrans is the only manifestation of Lyme disease in the United States that is sufficiently distinctive to allow clinical diagnosis in the absence of laboratory confirmation . '' It is a pathognomonic sign : a physician-identified rash warrants an instant diagnosis of Lyme disease and immediate treatment without further testing , even by the strict criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Such target lesions ( bull 's - eye rashes ) are characteristic of Borrelia infections , and no other pathogens are known that cause this form of rash .   A similar condition called Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness ( STARI ) produces a similar rash pattern although it develops more quickly and is smaller . The associated infectious agent has not been determined . Antibiotic treatment resolves the illness quickly .   This erythema is also sometimes called erythema migrans or EM . However , a less common meaning of the term `` erythema migrans '' is a mucosal condition of the tongue , also called geographic tongue .

neg: Phytophotodermatitis Phytophotodermatitis , also known as `` lime disease '' ( not to be confused with Lyme disease ) , `` Berloque dermatitis '' , or `` Margarita photodermatitis '' is a chemical reaction which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light . It is frequently mistaken for hereditary conditions such as atopic dermatitis or chemical burns , but it is caused by contact with the photosensitizing compounds found naturally in some plants and vegetables like parsnips , citrus fruits and more . Symptoms include burning , itching and large blisters that slowly accumulate over time .

neg: Bed bug Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood . Cimex lectularius , the common bed bug , is the best known as it prefers to feed on human blood . Other Cimex species specialize in other animals , e.g. , bat bugs , such as Cimex pipistrelli ( Europe ) , Cimex pilosellus ( Western United States ) , and Cimex adjunctus ( entire Eastern United States ) .   The name bed bug derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius : warm houses and especially near or inside beds and bedding or other sleep areas . Bed bugs are mainly active at night , but are not exclusively nocturnal . They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed .   A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites , including skin rashes , psychological effects , and allergic symptoms . Bed bugs are not known to transmit any pathogens as disease vectors . Certain signs and symptoms suggest the presence of bed bugs ; finding the adult insects confirms the diagnosis .   Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years . At a point in the early 1940s , they were mostly eradicated in the developed world , but have increased in prevalence since 1995 , likely due to pesticide resistance , governmental bans on effective pesticides , and international travel . Because infestation of human habitats has begun to increase , bed bug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well .

neg: Microfilaria Microfilaria may also refer to an informal `` collective group '' genus name , proposed by Cobbold in 1882 . While a convenient category for newly discovered microfilariae which can not be assigned to a known species because the adults are unknown , it is seldom used today .   The microfilaria ( plural microfilariae , sometimes abbreviated mf ) is an early stage in the life cycle of certain parasitic nematodes in the family Onchocercidae . In these species , the adults live in a tissue or the circulatory system of vertebrates ( the `` definitive hosts '' ) . They release microfilariae into the bloodstream of the vertebrate host . The microfilariae are taken up by blood-feeding arthropod vectors ( the `` intermediate hosts '' ) . In the intermediate host the microfilariae develop into infective larvae that can be transmitted to a new vertebrate host .   The presence of microfilariae in the host bloodstream is called `` microfilaraemia '' . The success of filariasis eradication programs is typically gauged by the reduction in numbers of circulating microfilariae in infested individuals within a geographic area .

neg: Tamara Awerbuch-Friedlander Tamara Eugenia Awerbuch-Friedlander , PhD , is a biomathematician and public health scientist at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston , Massachusetts . Her primary research and publications focus on biosocial interactions that cause or contribute to disease . She also is believed to be the first female Harvard Faculty member to have had a jury trial for a lawsuit filed against Harvard University for sex discrimination .  Currently , she is an instructor in the Department of Global Health and Population of the Harvard School of Public Health . Since the beginning of this century , she has organized and carried out research on conditions that lead to the emergence , maintenance , and spread of epidemics . Her research encompasses sexually-transmitted diseases ( STDs ) such as HIV/AIDS , as well as vector-borne diseases , such as Lyme disease , dengue , and Zika virus and Zika fever . Dr. Awerbuch-Friedlander recently researched the spread and control of rabies based on an eco-historical analysis . Her work is interdisciplinary , and some of her publications are co-authored with international scientists and members of different departments of the HSPH and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .   Ecology and evolutionary biology have traditionally been the dominant fields of mathematical biology , but public health fields are effectively contextualized within them . Conditions contributing to the emergence of epidemics are complex in nature , involving biological , ecological , behavioral , environmental , and socioeconomic factors . Most of her research mathematically models these factors as systems that lend themselves to qualitative and quantitative analysis . These models can be used to explore the effect of each factor in the presence of the others as well as new interventions . Many of these models are based on data collected in the field , whether they concern zoonotic diseases such as the population dynamics of the tick that transmits Lyme disease in the Northeastern part of the United States , or sexually transmitted diseases , such as the relative probabilities of HIV1 and HIV2 infection in a cohort of prostitutes in Senegal .   Some of her analytical mathematical models led to fundamental epidemiological discoveries , for example , that oscillations are an intrinsic property of tick dynamics . This means that a decrease in tick abundance in one year does not necessary imply that the same will happen in the next . She presented her work in many international conferences and at the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge , England , where she was invited to participate in the Program on Models of Epidemics .

neg: Chagas disease Chagas disease , also known as American trypanosomiasis , is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi . It is spread mostly by insects known as Triatominae or kissing bugs . The symptoms change over the course of the infection . In the early stage , symptoms are typically either not present or mild , and may include fever , swollen lymph nodes , headaches , or local swelling at the site of the bite . After 8 -- 12 weeks , individuals enter the chronic phase of disease and in 60 -- 70 % it never produces further symptoms . The other 30 to 40 % of people develop further symptoms 10 to 30 years after the initial infection , including enlargement of the ventricles of the heart in 20 to 30 % , leading to heart failure . An enlarged esophagus or an enlarged colon may also occur in 10 % of people .   T. cruzi is commonly spread to humans and other mammals by the blood-sucking `` kissing bugs '' of the subfamily Triatominae . These insects are known by a number of local names , including : vinchuca in Argentina , Bolivia , Chile and Paraguay , barbeiro ( the barber ) in Brazil , pito in Colombia , chinche in Central America , and chipo in Venezuela . The disease may also be spread through blood transfusion , organ transplantation , eating food contaminated with the parasites , and by vertical transmission ( from a mother to her fetus ) . Diagnosis of early disease is by finding the parasite in the blood using a microscope . Chronic disease is diagnosed by finding antibodies for T. cruzi in the blood .   Prevention mostly involves eliminating kissing bugs and avoiding their bites . Other preventative efforts include screening blood used for transfusions . A vaccine has not been developed as of 2013 . Early infections are treatable with the medication benznidazole or nifurtimox . Medication nearly always results in a cure if given early , but becomes less effective the longer a person has had Chagas disease . When used in chronic disease , medication may delay or prevent the development of end -- stage symptoms . Benznidazole and nifurtimox cause temporary side effects in up to 40 % of people including skin disorders , brain toxicity , and digestive system irritation .   It is estimated that 6.6 million people , mostly in Mexico , Central America and South America , have Chagas disease as of 2015 . In 2015 , Chagas was estimated to result in 8,000 deaths . Most people with the disease are poor , and most do not realize they are infected . Large-scale population movements have increased the areas where Chagas disease is found and these include many European countries and the United States . These areas have also seen an increase in the years up to 2014 . The disease was first described in 1909 by Carlos Chagas after whom it is named . Chagas disease is classified as a neglected tropical disease . It affects more than 150 other animals .

neg: Zika fever Zika fever , also known as Zika virus disease or simply Zika , is an infectious disease caused by the Zika virus . Most cases have no symptoms , but when present they are usually mild and can resemble dengue fever . Symptoms may include fever , red eyes , joint pain , headache , and a maculopapular rash . Symptoms generally last less than seven days . It has not caused any reported deaths during the initial infection . Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other brain malformations in some babies . Infections in adults have been linked to Guillain -- Barré syndrome ( GBS ) .   Zika fever is mainly spread via the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes type . It can also be sexually transmitted and potentially spread by blood transfusions . Infections in pregnant women can spread to the baby . Diagnosis is by testing the blood , urine , or saliva for the presence of the virus 's RNA when the person is sick , or the blood for antibodies after symptoms are present more than a week .   Prevention involves decreasing mosquito bites in areas where the disease occurs and proper use of condoms . Efforts to prevent bites include the use of insect repellent , covering much of the body with clothing , mosquito nets , and getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes reproduce . There is no effective vaccine . Health officials recommended that women in areas affected by the 2015 -- 16 Zika outbreak consider putting off pregnancy and that pregnant women not travel to these areas . While there is no specific treatment , paracetamol ( acetaminophen ) may help with the symptoms . Admission to hospital is rarely necessary .   The virus that causes the disease was first isolated in Africa in 1947 . The first documented outbreak among people occurred in 2007 in the Federated States of Micronesia . An outbreak started in Brazil in 2015 , and spread to the Americas , Pacific , Asia , and Africa . This led to the World Health Organization declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016 . The emergency was lifted in November 2016 , but 84 countries still reported cases as of March 2017 .

neg: Flavivirus Flavivirus is a genus of viruses in the family Flaviviridae . This genus includes the West Nile virus , dengue virus , tick-borne encephalitis virus , yellow fever virus , Zika virus and several other viruses which may cause encephalitis , as well as insect-specific flaviviruses ( ISFs ) such as cell fusing agent virus ( CFAV ) , Palm Creek virus ( PCV ) , and Parramatta River virus ( PaRV ) .   Flaviviruses are named from the yellow fever virus , the type virus for the family ; the word flavus '' means `` yellow '' in Latin . The name yellow fever in turn originated from its propensity to cause yellow jaundice in victims .   Flaviviruses share several common aspects : common size ( 40 -- 65 nm ) , symmetry ( enveloped , icosahedral nucleocapsid ) , nucleic acid ( positive-sense , single-stranded RNA around 10,000 -- 11,000 bases ) , and appearance in the electron microscope .   Most of these viruses are transmitted by the bite from an infected arthropod ( mosquito or tick ) and hence , classified as arboviruses . Human infections with these viruses are typically incidental , as humans are usually unable to replicate the virus to high enough titers to reinfect the arthropods needed to continue the virus lifecycle -- humans are a dead end host . The exceptions to this are the yellow fever , dengue , and zika viruses , which still require mosquito vectors , but are well-enough adapted to humans as to not necessarily depend upon animal hosts ( although they continue to have important animal transmission routes , as well ) .   Other virus transmission routes for arboviruses include handling infected animal carcasses , blood transfusion , child birth and through consumption of unpasteurised milk products . Transmission from nonhuman vertebrates to humans without an intermediate vector arthropod is thought to be unlikely . For example , early tests with yellow fever showed that the disease is not contagious .   The known non-arboviruses of the flavivirus family reproduce in either arthropods or vertebrates , but not both , with one odd member of the genus affecting a nematode .

neg: Tyzzer's disease Tyzzer 's disease is an acute epizootic bacterial disease found in rodents , rabbits , dogs , cats , birds , pandas , deer , foals , cattle , and other mammals including gerbils . It is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium piliforme , formerly known as Bacillus piliformis . It is an infectious disease characterized by necrotic lesions on the liver , is usually fatal , and is present worldwide . Animals with the disease become infected through oral ingestion of the bacterial spores and usually die within a matter of days . Animals most commonly affected include young , stressed animals in laboratory environments , such as immature rodents and rabbits . Most commonly affected wild animals include muskrats ( Ondatra zibethicus ) and occasionally cottontail rabbits ( Lepus sylvaticus ) . Even today , much remains unknown about Tyzzer 's disease , including how and why it occurs .

neg: Oesophagostomum Oesophagostomum is a genus of parasitic nematodes of the family Strongyloidae . These worms occur in Africa , Brazil , China , Indonesia and the Philippines . The majority of human infection with Oesophagostomum is localized to northern Togo and Ghana . Because the eggs may be indistinguishable from those of the hookworms ( which are widely distributed and can also rarely cause helminthomas ) , the species causing human helminthomas are rarely identified with accuracy . Oesophagostomum , especially O. bifurcum , are common parasites of livestock and animals like goats , pigs and non-human primates , although it seems that humans are increasingly becoming favorable hosts as well . The disease they cause , oesophagostomiasis , is known for the nodule formation it causes in the intestines of its infected hosts , which can lead to more serious problems such as dysentery . Although the routes of human infection have yet to be elucidated sufficiently , it is believed that transmission occurs through oral-fecal means , with infected humans unknowingly ingesting soil containing the infectious filariform larvae .   Oesophagostomum infection is largely localized to northern Togo and Ghana in western Africa where it is a serious public health problem . Because it is so localized , research on intervention measures and the implementation of effective public health interventions have been lacking . In recent years , however , there have been advances in the diagnosis of Oesophagostomum infection with PCR assays and ultrasound and recent interventions involving mass treatment with albendazole shows promise for controlling and possibly eliminating Oesophagostomum infection in northern Togo and Ghana .

neg: Soil-transmitted helminth The soil-transmitted helminths ( also called geohelminths ) are a group of intestinal parasites belonging to the phylum Nematoda that are transmitted primarily through contaminated soil . They are so called because they have a direct life cycle which requires no intermediate hosts or vectors , and the parasitic infection occurs through faecal contamination of soil , foodstuffs and water supplies . The adult forms are essentially parasites of humans , causing soil-transmitted helminthiasis ( STH ) , but also infect domesticated mammals . The juveniles are the infective forms and they undergo tissue-migratory stages during which they invade vital organs such as lungs and liver . Thus the disease manifestations can be both local and systemic . The geohelminths together present an enormous infection burden on humanity , amounting to 135,000 deaths every year , and persistent infection of more than two billion people .

neg: Louping ill Louping-ill ( also known as Ovine Encephalomyelitis , Infectious Encephalomyelitis of Sheep , Trembling-ill ) is an acute viral disease primarily of sheep that is characterized by a biphasic fever , depression , ataxia , muscular incoordination , tremors , posterior paralysis , coma , and death . Louping-ill is a tick-transmitted disease whose occurrence is closely related to the distribution of the primary vector , the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus . It also causes disease in red grouse , and can affect humans . The name ` louping-ill ' is derived from an old Scottish word describing the effect of the disease in sheep whereby they ` loup ' or spring into the air .

neg: Cryptosporidiosis Cryptosporidiosis , also known as crypto , is a parasitic disease caused by Cryptosporidium , a genus of protozoan parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa . It affects the distal small intestine and can affect the respiratory tract in both immunocompetent ( i.e. , individuals with a normal functioning immune system ) and immunocompromised ( e.g. , persons with HIV/AIDS or autoimmune disorders ) individuals , resulting in watery diarrhea with or without an unexplained cough . In immunocompromised individuals , the symptoms are particularly severe and can be fatal . It is primarily spread through the fecal-oral route , often through contaminated water ; recent evidence suggests that it can also be transmitted via fomites in respiratory secretions .   Cryptosporidium is the organism most commonly isolated in HIV-positive patients presenting with diarrhea . Despite not being identified until 1976 , it is one of the most common waterborne diseases and is found worldwide . The parasite is transmitted by environmentally hardy microbial cysts ( oocysts ) that , once ingested , sporozoites within oocysts excyst ( i.e. , are released ) and result in an infection of intestinal epithelial tissue .

neg: Zoonosis Zoonoses ( -LSB- ˌzoʊ.əˈnoʊsᵻs -RSB- , plural - -LSB- ˈnoʊsiːz -RSB- , also spelled zoönoses ; singular zoonosis ( or zoönosis ) ; from Greek : ζῷον zoon `` animal '' and νόσος nosos `` sickness '' ) are infectious diseases of animals ( usually vertebrates ) that can naturally be transmitted to humans .   Major modern diseases such as Ebola virus disease and salmonellosis are zoonoses . HIV was a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans in the early part of the 20th century , though it has now evolved to a separate human-only disease . Most strains of influenza that infect humans are human diseases , although many strains of swine and bird flu are zoonoses ; these viruses occasionally recombine with human strains of the flu and can cause pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu or the 2009 swine flu . Taenia solium infection is one of the neglected tropical diseases with public health and veterinary concern in endemic regions . Zoonoses can be caused by a range of disease pathogens such as viruses , bacteria , fungi and parasites ; of 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans , 61 % were zoonotic . Most human diseases originated in animals ; however , only diseases that routinely involve animal to human transmission , like rabies , are considered direct zoonosis .   Zoonoses have different modes of transmission . In direct zoonosis the disease is directly transmitted from animals to humans through media such as air ( influenza ) or through bites and saliva ( rabies ) . In contrast , transmission can also occur via an intermediate species ( referred to as a vector ) , which carry the disease pathogen without getting infected . When humans infect animals , it is called reverse zoonosis or anthroponosis .

neg: Relapsing fever Relapsing fever is a vector-borne disease caused by infection with certain bacteria in the genus Borrelia , which are transmitted through the bites of lice or soft-bodied ticks ( genus Ornithodoros ) .

neg: Dracunculiasis Dracunculiasis , also called Guinea-worm disease ( GWD ) , is an infection by the Guinea worm . A person becomes infected when they drink water that contains water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae . Initially there are no symptoms . About one year later , the person develops a painful burning feeling as the female worm forms a blister in the skin , usually on a lower limb . The worm then emerges from the skin over the course of a few weeks . During this time , it may be difficult to walk or work . It is very uncommon for the disease to cause death .   In humans , the only known cause is Dracunculus medinensis . The worm is about one to two millimeters wide , and an adult female is 60 to 100 centimeters long ( males are much shorter at 12 - ) . Outside of humans , the young form can survive up to three weeks , during which they must be eaten by water fleas to continue to develop . The larva inside water fleas may survive up to four months . Thus , in order for the disease to remain in an area , it must occur each year in humans . A diagnosis of the disease can usually be made based on the signs and symptoms .   Prevention is by early diagnosis of the disease followed by keeping the person from putting the wound in drinking water to decrease spread of the parasite . Other efforts include improving access to clean water and otherwise filtering water if it is not clean . Filtering through a cloth is often enough . Contaminated drinking water may be treated with a chemical called temefos to kill the larva . There is no medication or vaccine against the disease . The worm may be slowly removed over a few weeks by rolling it over a stick . The ulcers formed by the emerging worm may get infected by bacteria . Pain may continue for months after the worm has been removed .   In 2015 there were 22 reported cases of the disease while in 2016 there were 25 . This is down from an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986 . In 2016 the disease occurred in three countries , all in Africa , down from 20 countries in the 1980s . It will likely be the first parasitic disease to be globally eradicated . Guinea worm disease has been known since ancient times . It is mentioned in the Egyptian medical Ebers Papyrus , dating from 1550 BC . The name dracunculiasis is derived from the Latin `` affliction with little dragons '' , while the name `` guinea worm '' appeared after Europeans saw the disease on the Guinea coast of West Africa in the 17th century . Other Dracunculus species are known to infect various mammals , but do not appear to infect humans . Dracunculiasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease . Because dogs may also become infected , the eradication program is monitoring and treating dogs as well .

neg: ProMED-mail Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases ( also known as ProMED-mail , abbreviated ProMED ) is among the largest publicly available emerging diseases and outbreak reporting systems in the world . The central purpose of ProMED is to promote communication amongst the international infectious disease community , including scientists , physicians , veterinarians , epidemiologists , public health professionals , and others interested in infectious diseases on a global scale . Founded in 1994 , ProMED has pioneered the concept of electronic , Internet-based emerging disease and outbreak detection reporting . In 1999 , ProMED became a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases . As of 2016 , ProMED has more than 75,000 subscribers in over 185 countries . With an average of 13 posts per day , ProMED provides users with up-to-date information concerning infectious disease outbreaks on a global scale .   ProMED 's guiding principles include :  Transparency and a commitment to the unfettered flow of outbreak information  Freedom from political constraints  Availability to all without cost  Commitment to One Health  Service to the global health community   One of the essential global health priorities is the timely recognition and reporting of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases . Early recognition can enable coordinated and rapid responses to an outbreak , preventing catastrophic morbidity and mortality . Additionally , early detection can alleviate grave economic hardship brought upon by pandemics and emerging diseases . Burgeoning globalization of commerce , finance , manufacturing , and services has fostered ever-increasing movement of people , animals , plants , food , and feed . Other contributing factors to the risk of new pathogens emerging and known pathogens re-emerging include climate change , urbanization , land use changes , and political instability . Outbreaks that begin in the most remote parts of the world now spread swiftly to urban centers in countries far away . The epidemiological data in ProMED posts has been used to estimate mortality rates and demographic parameters for specific diseases .   The severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak in 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ) outbreak in 2012 demonstrated the importance of early identification for emerging disease occurrences . The initial outbreak reports in both events were posted by astute clinicians . The use of non-traditional information sources can provide prompt information to the international community on emerging infectious disease problems that have yet to be officially reported . The early dissemination of information may lead to rapid official confirmation of ongoing outbreaks . The Epicore program , launched in March 2016 , makes use of volunteers throughout the world to find and report outbreaks using non-traditional methods .

neg: Black Death in England The Black Death was a pneumonic plague pandemic , which reached England in June 1348 , and died down by December 1349 . It was the first and most severe manifestation of the Second Pandemic , caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria . The term `` Black Death '' was not used until the late 17th Century .   Originating in China , it spread west along the trade routes across Europe and arrived on the British Isles from the English province of Gascony . The plague seems to have been spread by flea-infected rats , as well as individuals who had been infected on the continent . Rats were the reservoir hosts of the Y. pestis bacteria and the Oriental rat flea was the primary vector .   The first known case in England was a seaman who arrived at Weymouth , Dorset , from Gascony in June 1348 . By autumn , the plague had reached London , and by summer 1349 it covered the entire country , before dying down by December . Low estimates of mortality in the early twentieth century have been revised upwards due to re-examination of data and new information , and a figure of 40 -- 60 % of the population is widely accepted .   The English government handled the crisis well , and the country did not experience the extreme reactions that were seen elsewhere in Europe . The most immediate consequence was a halt to the campaigns of the Hundred Years ' War . In the long term , the decrease in population caused a shortage of labour , with subsequent rise in wages , resisted by the landowners , which caused deep resentment among the lower classes . The Peasants ' Revolt of 1381 was largely a result of this resentment , and even though the rebellion was suppressed , in the long term serfdom was ended in England . The Black Death also affected artistic and cultural efforts , and may have helped advance the use of the vernacular .   In 1361 -- 62 the plague returned to England , this time causing the death of around 20 % of the population . After this the plague continued to return intermittently throughout the 14th and 15th centuries , in local or national outbreaks . From this point on its effect became less severe , and one of the last outbreaks of the plague in England was the Great Plague of London in 1665 -- 66 .