PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE AS SEEN FROM "THE HOLY BIBLE"

 In the past few years, we have witnessed multiple disease outbreaks. Most notable outbreaks are: 

• 2003: SARS
• 2009: Swine Flu(H1N1)
• 2014: Ebola
• 2019-2020: COVID 19

All of these pandemics have one thing in common, and that is the animal source origin.

Humans have a history of domesticating animals or living on them by eating them, but without proper knowledge of what to eat and what not, can result in disease or any other major health complication.

Thus, the concept of public health was initiated. This focused on the aspect where majority of the population can be targeted and the disease can be prevented or treated even before it started. Multiple aspects such as vaccination, providing medications for the disease in certain seasons, or enhancing the nutrition of the society by educating them about the food so that malnutrition or malnutrition related disorders do not happen, etc.

But one interesting thing to note here is that, the holy scriptures already have detailed instructions about what to do and what not to.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION AND SOLELY MY INTERPRETATION. VIEWS MAY VARY. THERE IS NO SUCH INTENTION OF DEMEANING ANY RELIGION OR THEIR VIEWS. THIS IS JUST AN INFORMATIVE BLOG WHICH IS BASED ON WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. 

{11:1} And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron,

saying unto them, {11:2} Speak unto the children of Israel,

saying, These [are] the beasts which ye shall eat among all

the beasts that [are] on the earth. {11:3} Whatsoever parteth

the hoof, and is clovenfooted, [and] cheweth the cud, among

the beasts, that shall ye eat.

This verse is taken from the book of Leviticus, chapter 11, verse 1 to 3. This states that those animals, who have parted hoof (leg) or cloved hoof can be eaten if the eat cud. Cud is basically the food which the animal chews back after they have already eaten it, example the ruminants. 

But those animals who have these characteristics, but do not chew cud are impure/unclean and thus cannot be eaten. 

This is what cloven footed looks like.

Hence, Pig, rodents, rats, ham cannot be eaten because they are unclean.

Also, scientifically if we see, the majority of the diseases such as SWINE FLU, PLAGUE, EBOLA, etc are spread by these same animals.

The effects of plague on the body. Due to this black pigmentation, it was called as the Black Death Disease.

{11:7} And the swine, though he

divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the

cud; he [is] unclean to you.

Similarly, the animals that live in water who have scales and fins can be eaten, those who do not have them cannot be consumed.

{11:9} These shall ye eat of all that [are] in the waters:

whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas,

and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. {11:12} Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in

the waters, that [shall be] an abomination unto you.

So, fish like Eels, puffer fish, etc cannot be eaten because of their poisonous nature.

Similarly, Crabs should also not be eaten, because of the parasitic diseases they can cause. Example vibrio bacteria (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) thrive excellent in salt water and thus may cause cholera like symptoms in an individual who eats an improperly cooked crab. Amoeba also thrives in crabs and may cause liver disease in the human. Liver fluke is most commonly found parasite in the crab/crayfish and thus can cause Clonorchis is also known as the Chinese or oriental liver fluke. Another such parasitic infection of liver and lung is caused by Paragonimus westermani. 

Image showing LIVER FLUKE 

Another class of animals that should not be eaten is the crawling and creeping type of land organism. Most commonly avoided organism talked is SNAIL.

{11:30} And the

ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and

the mole. {11:31} These [are] unclean to you among all that

creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall

be unclean until the even.

Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia, is caused by snail and thus is called as SNAIL FEVER. Urinary tract or gastrointestinal tract is infected and may cause symptoms like abdominal pain, fever, blood in stools, blood in urine, abdominal distention, etc.

 

11 year old boy showing abdominal distention due to schistosomiasis. (image courtesy: Wikipedia)

The verses 13 - 23 tell about the birds and insects which shall not be eaten. These include - 

• Vultures
• Crows
• Bats
• Owls
• Eagles
• Hawks
• Cuckoo
• Pelican
• Stork
• Bald locust
• Beetles
• Cockroaches
• Grasshopper, etc

Majority of these animals are Scavengers or those who are relied on the dead and decaying. Thus the chances of them carrying bacteria, virus, fungi, or parasite is way higher than any other animal.

We all saw what Bats can do; as Nipah Virus incident took place in Kerala. Eating vultures can causes serious diseases like Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, etc.

Eating cockroach can cause Salmonella infection and thus leading to typhoid.

Eating crows has reported to show diseases which are caused by Prions. Prions are infectious proteins of virus that cause diseases. Some of the notable diseases caused by prions are - 

• Mad cow disease
• Scrapie (a nervous disease affecting the sheep and cows)
• Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD)

Because of the sponge like lesions CJD is included in spongiform encephalitis.

Eagles, especially Bald Eagles are known to spread diseases like West Nile virus and Aspergillosis.

Although West Nile Virus is most commonly spread by Mosquito, but the virus is found in birds like Eagles and Crows. It lies in close proximity cycle from mosquito and birds, but it comes in contact with human if the mosquito bites the human and releases the virus or the infected animal is consumed without proper cooking.

West nile virus cycle

But at the same time it is said that if one wants to eat them, then he/she should thoroughly wash them and cook properly so that they become clean and in turn the consumer becomes clean.

Here clean and unclean means that the personal health and well being of the human.

 

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Author - Dr. Yogiraj Karambelkar