Ebola

[candygirl200413]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

I just can't understand why this disease was allowed into this country! Before we know it, there's going to be all kinds of folks sick with it. Mark my words.

no. no. no. I mean I'm personally surprised it took this long for Ebola to enter the US, because this isn't the first outbreak. It's just the first major outbreak that has resulted in so many deaths.

As a public health major, this REALLY interests me, and also finally gets me closer to thinking what I want to do for grad school down the road. IUhoosiergirl I love all the information you provided!

As for what the CDC has been doing, I personally think they're doing fine! I feel like lapse like this were bound to happen.

I also did hear that Texas Presbyterian did NOT have the hazmat like suits, it was like they were covered, but like not as covered compared to wearing a hazmat suit.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by candygirl200413

As a public health major, this REALLY interests me, and also finally gets me closer to thinking what I want to do for grad school down the road. IUhoosiergirl I love all the information you provided!

You are very very welcome! I have a grad degree in bio and work in the field, although not in a lab. As strange as it sounds, Ebola has always been one of my 'favorites; because it's close to the perfect virus--but it's not.

For anyone who cares, norovirus is probably the most 'perfect' virus.

[als463]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

You are very very welcome! I have a grad degree in bio and work in the field, although not in a lab. As strange as it sounds, Ebola has always been one of my 'favorites; because it's close to the perfect virus--but it's not.

For anyone who cares, norovirus is probably the most 'perfect' virus.

After complaining about being sick of hearing about Ebola, I was really intrigued by your background and interest in it. I have to ask as I am no expert in biology, why is it considered the most 'perfect' virus? Is that because it's hard to detect or something?

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by als463

After complaining about being sick of hearing about Ebola, I was really intrigued by your background and interest in it. I have to ask as I am no expert in biology, why is it considered the most 'perfect' virus? Is that because it's hard to detect or something?

So the 'perfect' virus is one that's highly contagious so it's easily transferred from host to host, is shed/released very rapidly by the host (via sneezing, coughing, sweat, pus, whatever), evolves quickly to get around both the immune system and medical countermeasures, evokes limited immunity so you can get the same virus over and over, and is only moderately virulent so it doesn't kill off all potential hosts. Ideally, they're also pretty environmentally stable, but that's able to be bypassed--just look at influenza's seasonal outbreaks. You may also want a virus that lays 'dormant' in the host while still remaining infective, so you can pass it on to others even if you yourself are not showing any ill effects.

Ebola fits a lot of those criteria, but not all of them. It's highly contagious because it requires a low viral load (i.e. the amount of virus you come in contact with) to infect, but it's not airborne so it's not transferred as easily. Patients do shed high viral loads--check. It doesn't mutate THAT rapidly when compared to other viruses--but there's not a good treatment for it at this point. It does invoke limited immunity, but it's appearing like that immunity may be stronger than we think. Finally, it's pretty virulent and obviously kills off a high percentage of its hosts, so eventually it 'burns out.'

Norovirus, on the other hand, is INCREDIBLY contagious, you shed high viral counts (some studies have shown 10^5 to 10^11 viral copies per gram of poo or vomit), it mutates extremely fast, immunity is pretty much nonexistent, and fits that moderate virulence category. It's also extraordinarily stable.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to viruses, you actually don't want high virulence because oftentimes, with that comes decreased infectivity or contagiousness.

[als463]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

So the 'perfect' virus is one that's highly contagious so it's easily transferred from host to host, is shed/released very rapidly by the host (via sneezing, coughing, sweat, pus, whatever), evolves quickly to get around both the immune system and medical countermeasures, evokes limited immunity so you can get the same virus over and over, and is only moderately virulent so it doesn't kill off all potential hosts. Ideally, they're also pretty environmentally stable, but that's able to be bypassed--just look at influenza's seasonal outbreaks. You may also want a virus that lays 'dormant' in the host while still remaining infective, so you can pass it on to others even if you yourself are not showing any ill effects.

Ebola fits a lot of those criteria, but not all of them. It's highly contagious because it requires a low viral load (i.e. the amount of virus you come in contact with) to infect, but it's not airborne so it's not transferred as easily. Patients do shed high viral loads--check. It doesn't mutate THAT rapidly when compared to other viruses--but there's not a good treatment for it at this point. It does invoke limited immunity, but it's appearing like that immunity may be stronger than we think. Finally, it's pretty virulent and obviously kills off a high percentage of its hosts, so eventually it 'burns out.'

Norovirus, on the other hand, is INCREDIBLY contagious, you shed high viral counts (some studies have shown 10^5 to 10^11 viral copies per gram of poo or vomit), it mutates extremely fast, immunity is pretty much nonexistent, and fits that moderate virulence category. It's also extraordinarily stable.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to viruses, you actually don't want high virulence because oftentimes, with that comes decreased infectivity or contagiousness.

This was all really informative. Thanks for sharing, IUHoosiergirl88.