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Posted By: Mike Kremer Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/11/07 06:22 AM
Eastern Equinine Encephalitus or "Triple E", a mosquito born virus, is on a slow increase in Eastern USA.

At one time it only affected horses, when it was first discovered in 1831. But it seems to have mutated and can now affect humans. Although a third of the people infected die, its transmission by mosquito is rare, although this could increase due to global warming. There is no vaccine for humans, but there is a limited vaccine for horses.
The first European ever, to catch the deadly virus, had just returned to the UK after spending a fishing holiday in Rhode Island, is now in deep coma after being bitten by a mosquito.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2610496.ece
Posted By: Amaranth Rose II Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/11/07 06:55 AM
What a tragedy! My heart goes out to the family. I hope he recovers enough to live a normal life. What a tragic memento of a fishing trip. Now where did I put that mosquito repellent? We have west Nile fever here in the great plains, that is bad enough.
Posted By: Ellis Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/12/07 12:16 AM
Dreadful news, especially as you do not in any way expect it, and cannot take any protection.

At the moment we are experiencing an outbreak of Equine Flu in Australia. Usually a mild disease, though can be deadly, only affecting horses,and so far not in Victoria, the state where the big Spring Racing Carnival is to be held over the next 6 weeks. The outbreak seems to have been caused by the relaxing of the incredibly strict quarantine regulations that we have in Australia and some horses imported for races in NSW from Japan had the active disease. We are now vaccinating for it, and the feeling is it will be endemic in Australia in the future and we will have it for keeps. The speed with which it has spread has been frightening. There are huge difficulties keeping quarantine in place, and human error certainly seems to have caused some of this spread.

We do not have many of these exotic animal diseases here, but globalisation and free trade put huge pressure on the govt to relax rules. (ie Fireblight infected apples from NZ-terry!)
Posted By: terrytnewzealand Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/12/07 02:17 AM
But Ellis, fireblight doesn't actually affect apples, just the twigs and leaves! And we don't yet have equine flu but even NZ comes to a standstill on the first Tuesdsay in November.
Posted By: Mike Kremer Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/12/07 05:11 AM
My sad thoughts are;-
As we humans become more crowded in a crowded World, so do pathogens.
This allows them to crosslink and breed with ever crowded ease.
A self-replicating pathogen could destroy civilization within weeks.
Posted By: Mike Kremer Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/15/07 01:20 AM
Originally Posted By: Mike Kremer
My sad thoughts are;-
As we humans become more crowded in a crowded World, so do pathogens.
This allows them to crosslink and breed with ever crowded ease.
A self-replicating pathogen could destroy civilization within weeks.


I had an E-mail asking me what a self replicating pathogen was?.
Its a good question, that I cant answer.
But if self replicating means= 'manmade' -I dont know of any.
Any new pathogens are kept, out of sight in some Govermental Research Lab, ar'nt they?
Like the recent Blue Tongue that may have escaped from a UK Lab recently?

The nearest bacteria that might replicate, could be E. Coli?
Which is notorious for its fast reproduction. Its everywhere- in our intestines, gut, and food, and spread by contact.
There is so much around that its relatively benign.

But Escherichia Coli:, like the Pandemic Flue of 1918, could self-mutate and kill millions, unless you were lucky enough to have some natural immunity.
Both could upset our modern civilization as we know it, for quite sometime, dependent upon the severity of the outbreak?
Posted By: Ellis Re: Triple E, Virus on Increase - 10/15/07 01:41 AM
I don't know if it is self-replicating, but the speed with which the Equine Flu (very mild virus I know) has spread in an unprotetected population of horses has been really frightening. A similar one amongst humans might likely be very devastating indeed, as happened in 1918 of course. Luckily there is vaccination (at last).
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