Spanish flu? Swine flu? Is there a huge difference that they can't all be just the flu?
They are all influenza viruses but different strains. They all have the same number of genome segments and make the same number of proteins. However, the genomes differ based on where the virus originated. A infects people, birds and a few other animals. B infects people and seals while C infects pigs and humans. If they were just called A/B/C you still couldn't determine where it actually came from. So they're called avian/swine/etc to show where they came from before crossing into the human population. There are markers in the influenza virus genome that usually correspond with their origin. For example human flu viruses tend to be attenuated and have less virulent and less pathogenic proteins when compared to an avian influenza virus.
H5N1 flu is still considered avian because the genome is closer to avian flu than the seasonal human flu. Classifying flu viruses by origin also helps when you try to explain why the population is at risk for infection. This is more of a reason why Spanish flu recombinants and the H5N1 are being studied so intently. There is no natural immunity in humans and once it crosses the human to human barrier there would be nothing to stop it from infecting millions of people.
This is why I did the phase 2 clinical trial. On the one hand I might be protected against H5N1 flu right now, on the other I might not. Either way I've got $400 more than I did before.
Have you heard about this new superbug staph infection thingee?
I think you're referring to MRSA. I wouldn't call it "new," per se, but I think the recent deaths are a bit new.
The acronym technically stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but it's also used to refer to any resistant S.aureus strain, even the multi-resistant ones.
The big thing is that it's almost impossible to get rid of; staphylococci are hardy bastards to begin with, and once you add in beta-lactam antibiotic resistance (the -cillins: penicillin, ampicillin, methicillin, etc), it becomes a nightmare. The stuff is a problem in hospitals, where one person may handle multiple sick, injured, and immunocompromised people. It's also trouble in communal environments, like college dorms, along with things like bacterial meningitis.
I think you're referring to MRSA. I wouldn't call it "new," per se, but I think the recent deaths are a bit new.
The acronym technically stands for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, but it's also used to refer to any resistantS.aureusstrain, even the multi-resistant ones.
The big thing is that it's almost impossible to get rid of; staphylococci are hardy bastards to begin with, and once you add in beta-lactam antibiotic resistance (the -cillins: penicillin, ampicillin, methicillin, etc), it becomes a nightmare. The stuff is a problem in hospitals, where one person may handle multiple sick, injured, and immunocompromised people. It's also trouble in communal environments, like college dorms, along with things like bacterial meningitis.
I heard that we are about to enter the Post-Antibiotic era. Are there any new methods of destroying bacteria? What's going to happen when all the current bacteria have evolved to resist our anti-bacterial drugs?
I'm not sure that there's going to be a "post-antibiotic" era per se. The problem with ANY method of combating bacteria is that, invetibaly, something WILL learn to survive. There are organisms now that can survive balls-out sterilization with an autoclave.
The only thing we can do when bacteria evolve resistance is to make new drugs. We can limit the usage of antibiotics in the meantime, so that their useful lifespan will be extended. But really, pharmaceutical research is our only hope for some of these things.
Well, that, or everybody wears a cleansuit all the time. I'm sure something will find a way into that.
The real issue that eludes some non-biologists is that problems with bacteria are not static problems; indeed, no problem in biology is static, so no solution can be static. As the problem changes, so does the answer.
If we DID enter some kind of post-antibiotic era, where we could no longer effectively utilize macromolecules to kill bacterial cells, we would probably have to move to some bacteriophage-oriented method, where we use bacteriocidal viruses to hunt down and kill infections. Of course, invariably, bacteria would evolve mechanisms to deal with THAT, so it'd still be an eventually losing battle.
Well, that, or everybody wears a cleansuit all the time. I'm sure something will find a way into that.
Eventually the bacteria will survive by eating clean suits.
I smell a new Half-Life enemy.
Fuck! I feel like I should delete your post just to keep them from getting ideas. Gordon's life is rough enough as it is. Negate the HEV suit, and it's not even worth it.
Wow, that would be something. A portion of HL where they take the suit away. Wait, no, I mean a part where they upgrad the suit, with lasers. Yeah!
I thought that was a really interesting part. I laughed out loud at the "the shot will take away your SPECIAL POWERS to see UFOs and ghosts and fairys and pixies and magical fairy dust" part.
I got offered a free flu shot, but fuck, what do I care? I'm Canadian, so if I'm getting a free shot it sure won't be at my FACTORY.
You better get the shot. If you got the flu, you'd never be able to get a doctor's appointment and you'd wait 48 hours in the emergency room. ;-)
But at least we have health care, even if we can't get in! And there are tips and tricks to getting in. For example: Go about 15-30 minutes before walk in clinics open. You'll be in within a few hours, at most. Lawl. There's been times where, instead of going to the hospital, I just sleep until 8, catch the bus, and be back home by 10, 11. =3
Normally I don't care enough to get a flu shot, but this year my boss actually talked me into getting one. We expect to do a lot more work in hospitals this winter, and he's given me solid advice in regard to medical treatment in the past.
That's old news. Drug-resistant TB has been on the rise in recent years. XDR-TB has also been around for a while; it's just starting to become more prevalent now.
Random thought: If you don't think evolution is the cause of life on earth then how do you suppose bacteria become resistant (Without playing the conspiracy card.)?
Random thought: If you don't think evolution is the cause of life on earth then how do you suppose bacteria become resistant (Without playing the conspiracy card.)?
By playing the Microevolution vs Macroevolution card.
Comments
H5N1 flu is still considered avian because the genome is closer to avian flu than the seasonal human flu. Classifying flu viruses by origin also helps when you try to explain why the population is at risk for infection. This is more of a reason why Spanish flu recombinants and the H5N1 are being studied so intently. There is no natural immunity in humans and once it crosses the human to human barrier there would be nothing to stop it from infecting millions of people.
This is why I did the phase 2 clinical trial. On the one hand I might be protected against H5N1 flu right now, on the other I might not. Either way I've got $400 more than I did before.
The acronym technically stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but it's also used to refer to any resistant S.aureus strain, even the multi-resistant ones.
The big thing is that it's almost impossible to get rid of; staphylococci are hardy bastards to begin with, and once you add in beta-lactam antibiotic resistance (the -cillins: penicillin, ampicillin, methicillin, etc), it becomes a nightmare. The stuff is a problem in hospitals, where one person may handle multiple sick, injured, and immunocompromised people. It's also trouble in communal environments, like college dorms, along with things like bacterial meningitis.
The only thing we can do when bacteria evolve resistance is to make new drugs. We can limit the usage of antibiotics in the meantime, so that their useful lifespan will be extended. But really, pharmaceutical research is our only hope for some of these things.
Well, that, or everybody wears a cleansuit all the time. I'm sure something will find a way into that.
The real issue that eludes some non-biologists is that problems with bacteria are not static problems; indeed, no problem in biology is static, so no solution can be static. As the problem changes, so does the answer.
If we DID enter some kind of post-antibiotic era, where we could no longer effectively utilize macromolecules to kill bacterial cells, we would probably have to move to some bacteriophage-oriented method, where we use bacteriocidal viruses to hunt down and kill infections. Of course, invariably, bacteria would evolve mechanisms to deal with THAT, so it'd still be an eventually losing battle.
Wow, that would be something. A portion of HL where they take the suit away. Wait, no, I mean a part where they upgrad the suit, with lasers. Yeah!
By the time you smell it, it's already too late.
I listened to it today. Its one of the podcast I listen to on a weekly basis.
Yeah, you don't fuck with TB.