Bacteria Virus' are coming to get us

[vinylgroover]

I don't know about the States, but here in Australia, we have had a concerning outbreak of the meningicoccal virus, which just claimed a young 6 year old girl yesterday. She is the latest in an alarming increase over the past few months of deaths caused by the virus.

This shit seems to be worse than ebola or smallpox in that the symptoms are similar to that of a flu. By the time the a purple rash appears on the body (the tell tale sign of meningicoccal) the patient has 6-14 hours to live.

Medicine seems to be forever advancing, but so too do these bacterial virus', and so far, the bacterium is winning the race or so it appears.

We can forget about the threat of terrorism, nuclear war, asteroids and so on, unless we can get a handle on these virus' we are doomed.

Apologies if i have alarmed anyone>

 

[anthrax]

Afetr using antibiotics for everything bacteria are becoming resistant

as far as viruses, new drugs are missing

If a terrorist uses smallpox or any other lethal virus there could be far more dead people than with a plane....

 

[cockdezl]

Meningococcal disease implies a bacteria, as opposed to meningitis, which can be either bacterial or viral. The infection that has occured in Australia is bacterial related and the causative agent is Neisseria meningitidis. This organism commonly affects children, who spread it through aerosols and hand/mouth contact.

As for the idea of being wiped out by disease, I find that unlikely. We could lose alot of people by an unusual agent, but never wiped out.

 

[Delinquent]

We just had a couple kids get Naegleria Infection a couple days ago. I can't seem to find any more info about the kids though.

 

[cockdezl]

We just had a couple kids get Naegleria Infection a couple days ago. I can't seem to find any more info about the kids though.

Naegleria is not something we commonly hear about. The US doesn't have the protozoal infection rate that 2nd and 3rd world countries have.

This is interesting and I will look into this.

 

[Delinquent]

Yea I've only heard tidbits about it and that was something they said. The scientists couldn't even believe the kids had it b/c it was so rare.

 

[Delinquent]

They finally put something up.



Two Boys Hospitalized After Swimming In Local Lakes
Two Central Florida boys are hospitalized with infections they contracted from local lakes. A 15 year-old boy became sick after swimming in Lake Talmadge in Volusia County. The teen was swimming in the lake last weekend, and contracted the potentially deadly bacteria through a cut on his leg.

There are only two fresh water areas that are approved for swimming in Volusia County; Blue Springs and Deleon Springs, because there is constant circulation of flow of the water.

A 12-year-old boy remains at Florida Hospital in critical condition with an infection he contracted from one of two local lakes. The boy has an amoebic type infection known as PAM. It's a rare disease that causes inflammation of the brain. The amoeba enters through the nose and goes straight for the brain. It's fatal in about 95 percent of cases. The boy was infected from swimming in either long lake in Oviedo or the Conway chain of lakes in Orange County.

 

[Delinquent]

Here's more

Lake Amoeba Responsible For Death of Local Boy
The 12 year old boy from Oviedo infected with an amoeba from a lake died Friday afternoon. The boy was infected from swimming in either Long Lake in Oviedo or the Conway Chain of Lakes in Orange County.


Amoeba infections, which are very rare, occur when the amoeba enters the body and attacks the brain and spinal cord. It is fatal in about 95 percent of cases.


A 15 year old DeLand boy is in critical condition dealing with similar circumstances, however his disease is the result of bacteria. He became sick after swimming in Lake Talmadge in Volusia County. It is believed that bacteria entered the boy’s body through a cut on his leg

 

[cockdezl]

From what I have gathered, both boys have contracted some unusual infections.

The DeLand boy has a bacterial septicemia of Chromobacterium violaceum and the Seminole boy has contracted an amoebic parasite, Naegleria fowleri, which targets the brain.

Both infections are uncommon, but the Chromobacterium is strange, since it is a common aquatic and soil bacterium, so there must be something unusual about the strain or the boy. Naegleria is more pathogenic so it is not strange that if one were in contact with it, they might contract an infection.

 

[Imnotdutch]

From what I have gathered, both boys have contracted some unusual infections.

The DeLand boy has a bacterial septicemia of Chromobacterium violaceum and the Seminole boy has contracted an amoebic parasite, Naegleria fowleri, which targets the brain.

Both infections are uncommon, but the Chromobacterium is strange, since it is a common aquatic and soil bacterium, so there must be something unusual about the strain or the boy. Naegleria is more pathogenic so it is not strange that if one were in contact with it, they might contract an infection.

Chromobacterium violaceum might be common in soil and water but it is known that infections can have a variety of effects.....anything from diarrhoea to death from scepticaemia. To top that, the virulent form of this chromobacterium produces endotoxins, and some strains are resistant to attack by phagocytes.....so it can be tough for the body to handle. Just because it is safe outside of your body, doesn't mean that it is safe when it gets into your bloodsteam.

Oh and there are currently no vaccines that might help us fight this.

 

[cockdezl]

Chromobacterium violaceum might be common in soil and water but it is known that infections can have a variety of effects.....anything from diarrhoea to death from scepticaemia. To top that, the virulent form of this chromobacterium produces endotoxins, and some strains are resistant to attack by phagocytes.....so it can be tough for the body to handle. Just because it is safe outside of your body, doesn't mean that it is safe when it gets into your bloodsteam.

Oh and there are currently no vaccines that might help us fight this.

This is very true, but it is not a common clinical pathogen, and yet it is a common environmental organism. Clinical micro is filled with organisms that CAN cause disease, and are prevalent, but you just don't see them that often.

Also, there will be no vaccine produced for this organism, since there is not a huge demand for it.

Chromobacterium violaceum is easily identified, as it produces a purpleish colony and a violet/purple halo on DNA agar, due to the DNase that it produces.

 

[Newbie2building]

sounds like bioterrorism. i'm going to my cave now.

 

[Imnotdutch]

This is very true, but it is not a common clinical pathogen, and yet it is a common environmental organism. Clinical micro is filled with organisms that CAN cause disease, and are prevalent, but you just don't see them that often.

Also, there will be no vaccine produced for this organism, since there is not a huge demand for it.

Chromobacterium violaceum is easily identified, as it produces a purpleish colony and a violet/purple halo on DNA agar, due to the DNase that it produces.

Ok I see what you meant......I think I misinterpreted your words.

I think if I were trying to predict when this sort of problem would occur I would pick this time of year.......due to the heat meaning more people swimming in lakes etc, larger bug populations again due to heat and I'm guessing that food sources would be more prevalent at this time of year.