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Reuters
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday warned state and local health officials about potential infections from a deadly virus previously unseen in humans that has now sickened 14 people and killed 8.
Most of the infections have occurred in the Middle East, but a new analysis of three confirmed infections in Britain suggests the virus can pass from person to person rather than from animal to humans, the CDC said in its Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report on Thursday.
The virus is a coronavirus, part of the same family of viruses as the common cold and the deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that first emerged in Asia in 2003. The new virus is not the same as SARS, but like the SARS virus, it is similar to those found in bats.
So far, no cases have been reported in the United States.
According to the CDC's analysis, the infections in Britain started with a 60-year-old man who had recently traveled to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and developed a respiratory illness on Jan. 24, 2013. Samples from the man showed he was infected with both the new virus and with H1N1, or swine flu.
This man subsequently passed the infection to two members of his household: a male with an underlying illness who became ill on Feb. 6 and subsequently died; and a healthy adult female in his household who developed a respiratory illness on Feb. 5, but who did not need to be hospitalized and has recovered.
The CDC said people who develop a severe acute lower respiratory illness within 10 days of returning from the Arabian Peninsula or neighboring countries should continue to be evaluated according to current guidelines.
The health agency said doctors should be watchful of patients who develop an unexplained respiratory infection within 10 days of traveling from the Arabian Peninsula or neighboring countries. The CDC has set up a special website with updates on the infections.
Symptoms of infection with this new virus include severe acute respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Neither the CDC nor the World Health Organization has issued travel restrictions related to the virus.
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Sounds scary.
They should name this new virus: "Progressive Virus"
Now, THAT would be scary.
Traveling from one country to the other will spread the next plague very quickly
Shouldn't be a problem if we can get these guys more than one NIH grant.
At MIT Dr. Rider has engineered an anti-viral that has stopped every virus the team has challenged it with including H1N1 and a rhinovirus (common cold). It is broad-spectrum meaning that it will be effective against virtually any viral infection.
I wrote up an article describing his work and a lay person presentation on the science…
MIT and the Demise of the Viral Infection
http://blog.readingthinkingandwriting.com/?p=500
Yes and it's called the Federal Government.
Cognito,
DRACO does indeed show a lot of promise, but it will be at least a decade before it's available (if ever).
DRACO kills all infected cells. Depending on the level of infection, that approach might also kill the host (in this case, the infected person). Like you, I'm hopeful - but we'll have to make sure that the cure isn't worse than the disease first.
So far, morality in infected mice hasn't been an issue. And the work is continuing. Here's hoping.
So what happened to the bird flue that was all the rage not too long ago? Is that the SARS that they mention? I guess we're all finished.....again...
Middle East continues to be the source for human miseries... can we just fence it off?
I've spoken with Dr. Rider a few times and we remain in contact by email. With current funding levels, which are unbelievably low (salary for one researcher is being shared between all team members) we may be looking at a decade. But if we can build an atomic bomb in just a few years, I'm sure we can accelerate this.
As to DRACO killing infected cells... that is correct. And that is exactly what our immune system does. In fact DRACO is built from pieces of the Interferon Response and Apoptotic (programmed cell death) pathways.
Rider himself says that the numerous tests required before release of such a drug is the stopgap here. He doesn't mention funding as a limiting factor.
Drug testing follows a well-defined pathway, and the more potentially dangerous the drug is, the more testing that's required. As it should be, IMO.
There are a number ways that a virus escapes a cell to propagate throughout the host - and only some of those pathways involve killing the infected cell.
In lysis, viruses break the host cell open, and destroy the host cell. But in budding, they 'pinch out' from the cell membrane and break away. The host cell is not destroyed.
In discussing cells infected with viruses, I assume you're talking about our NK cells. They specifically target cells infected with viruses (and tumor cells) - but don't come close to killing every infected cell. If they did, we'd be able to cure cancer and viral infections on our own.
Max, I don't think they can fence with all those robes and crap they wear. It would be hilarious to watch them step forward quickly for a stab, step on their robe, and instantly go into face down ass up dirt licking mode! En guarde! They may have a better chance with those little fencing swords than with their "Weapons of supreme superiority for Ala"
I wouldn't worry. The progressive virus only affects people with high IQ.
Something along these lines may be how man meets his fate.
We recommend(ed), e.g. to U.S. Congressmember(s), that CDC's "HIV/AIDS" Division, be rename(d) and reconfigure(d), as the CDC "Division of HIV/AIDS/HTLV". Japan, Brazil, and possibly additional Central and/or South American Nation(s), have "HTLV Division(s) of Public Health", and thus (long-ago, we were told), made Good-Faith (vigorous and bioethical) effort(s), to Protect from/Contain the ++spread (two HTLV +Variant[s] are ++spreading in the Western Hemisphere). CDC "couldn't care less" about HTLVs' expansion across our Country, in "Only-Guessed-At" #'s. (Unreported by/to State DOHs, Unreported by/to CDC itself). Please ask your State and Federal Representative(s): "What's Up With This BioInformation-Deletion Terror...??"
If you posted your message in a coherent manner, maybe we could all figure out what the hell you are talking about.
Perhaps engnath.htlv@yahoo.com needs to be tested?
In layman's terms; the sky is falling.
HTLV does not caus an acute disease like this novel coronavirus. It causes a cancer (a lukemia) years later. This novel virus is not even in the same ballpark as HTLV danger-wise. HTLV will never wipe out or even dessimate humankind whereas if this virus gains better transmission between humans, it could wipe out 50-60% of us. If you do not want to get HTLV, do not have unprotected sex. This new virus probably spreads by droplets (i.e. sneezing).
Maybe Bieber is afraid of this.....
That's great. Aren't we lucky we don't have many people travelling from those countries in and out of the US, with dual citizenship who are allowed to bypass any health checks.
I mean, we don't really have an immigration department any more, and with so many refugees coming from that part of the world we have nothing to worry about.
Okay, the last part of my above post didn't show up so....
It was meant as sarcasm. They give us this lame alarmist story, pretend that we in the US have nothing to worry about, when we have as global a Middle East population as any country on the planet.
It's just another stupid "the sky is falling" story for a slow news day. Maybe we should get busy building a bubble around the North American continent, or better still, just stop clicking on the "Health" section of the news stories.
Two months ago it was flesh eating bacteria and they were all inside the US... nowhere to run...
Seems at times that nbc is the troll.
Even with a health screening someone could enter having been infected and showing no symptoms. They could be coming in as a visitor just on vacation. Or to go to a symposium or a conference for to just do business.
Wow, another fatal virus story, one that may end the world, like SARS or Swine Flu or Bird Flu or HIV or Small Pox ( they bring this one up in slow years ) and of course, don't forget the un-treatable bacterial infections, ie - Flesh Eating Bacteria, MRSA (what a joke that one is - the old antibiotic Doxycycline kills it very effectively, but they never tell you that ) and of course, the media's old stand by, gonorrhea, one , of which, I suspect, many of the media have personal experience with.
This is really scary
So now it's 1,001 ways to die.
Or 50 plus one more ways to leave your lover.
Don't need to be coy, Rfrnet..
What fear / immunization are they selling this week?
Meh, the strong shall survive.
Gosh. It`s not like viruses and bacteria are not wiping out other species on the planet. Not sure why we humans would think we were immune to all this.
Uh oh. Bring on the media hype and hysteria.
Hmm, are terrorist working on bio warfare? Being an alarmist and sarcastic but makes for a great movie plot.
Keep pumping the sheep with "mandatory" vaccinations in many professions and school requirements. Go to the hospital for a headache, die because of an infection. Even without vaccines, the "drugs" that are supposed to help people have so many side effects that we sheep are better off not taking them.
It's the little things in life that count...virus...bacteria...spores...but as for terrorism and/or biological warfare, why would anyone release something that could come back to get them sooner or later? Unless they have the only antidote! Sounds like a bad movie plot, or an episode of Batman.
Oh boyeee!! Here we go! It's time for another deadly disease to doom all of mankind!!! Hurry- get your tinfoil hats adjusted and run for the hills!! It's SARS II Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The controlled media continues to pump out the same fear-mongering ka-ka on a daily basis. Big pharma likes it this way.
Gosh !! I pray that our CONGRESS of REPUKES and TEA-SHYSTERS who are absolute INSANE EXTREMIST of CUTS and who are fanatics on KILLING SOCIAL PROGRAMS at any COST. Especially the AMERICAN CITIZENS who pay these lunatics do not CUT FUNDING FOR THE CDC?
These GOP FANATICS are sheer NUT JOBS. FOLKS THEY ARE NOT for the WELFARE of AMERICANS. They only THINK GREED FOR THEM AND THEIR CRONNIES of BUSINESS.
Alain, did you get permission to skip your meds this morning?
Hey Proud, Alain was obviously was given the placebo this morning. Better break out the real stuff...
Quick! Somebody get a straitjacket!
See what happens when you participate in clinical trials of psychotropic drugs?
You mad bro?
FE FI FO FUM, I SMELL A DONALD RUMSFELD GLOBAL AGENDA HERE.... Create a problem, then have the cure... Be carefull spreading around viruses Global Elite, It can bite you on the butt.
"The virus is a Coronavirus"
Well that's easy... just throw in some lime wedges, palm trees and a hammock and all will be good.
The world really should take the threat of pandemic more seriously. We have no quarantine system at all, and no medical screening what so ever. If you get on a plane with typhoid Mary, well that's just too bad for you.
So does this virus cause hangover-like symptoms? I think the msnbc writers have been drinking too much "Coronavirus".
I know I'm asking for too much. Please let this be the big one.
I'm over 50 years. Never been inoculated for any flu and I have missed maybe 3 days of work in 20 years. The East Nile virus has been found in our local mosquitos going back 3 years. I am frequently outside after work to play soccer or enjoy the outdoors past dark. How ever I'm thinking it is about time to get a booster for tetnus.
If you got a vaccine or medications for every potential infectious agent out there, you would die from the side effects sooner.
If you didn't get a vaccine, you are also far more likely to die of the disease itself. People like you who don't understand history and don't know what these horrific diseases did to society are now hale and healthy and badmouthing vaccines exactly because these vaccines worked and these diseases are now very rare.
Just a matter of time before we have a massive die off....from a virus...but also from a bacteria. Too much massive use of antibiotics being fed to animals to fatten them up...and too much unrestricted genetic engineering going on...like the as*shole who is doing genetic modifications to the bird flu virus to allow it to become airborne. We're a sick, greedy species unconcerned about the consequences of our actions.