E. Coli

 From phrases such as “Don’t touch that hamburger!’ to “Watch out for the spinach at the salad bar!” it has become clear that the epidemic of E. Coli has become much more prominent than any of us would like to admit. As of December 23, 2006, around 200 cases were reported in North America alone.
This new strain of E. Coli specifically with spinach has had a major impact on how people choose what they put in their salads, yes. But the other main impact has been on the farmers who produce the spinach. In California, a devastating $74 million is what farmers face to lose over this new strain of E. Coli.
As an example of just how much the spinach crop is worth for these farmers, about $3, 500 is lost with each acre of spinach lost. This sets a state such as California at a huge disadvantage agriculturally and economically due to the fact that about ¾ of all homegrown spinach is harvested in California.

If you would like to read more about the strains of E. Coli, read these articles:
http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2006/12/07/ap3237146.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16161801/

Tuberculosis XDR

The ‘XDR’ in tuberculosis XDR stands for “Extensively Drug Resistant”. What does this mean? It means that it is virtually untreatable. The first reported outbreak of this was in KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa, in September 2006. 52 out of the 53 patients diagnosed with the XDR stain died within 25 days; 44 of them were found to be HIV positive. In combination with HIV infection, XDR-TB works quickly, sometimes killing within sixteen days. A moral dilemma was presented to the WHO (World Health Organization) as to whether XDR-TB patients should be quarantined to stop the outbreak.

A more common drug resistant strain of tuberculosis is the MDR strain. MDR stands for multi-drug resistant. The fewer drugs a strain is resistant to, the better. With the emergence of XDR-TB, doctors have looked more closely at their patients with MDR-TB. In some countries, studies have shown that a percentage of MDR-TB cases have met the criteria for XDR-TB:
US: 4%
South Korea: 15%.
Eastern Europe: 19%

Concern is focused mostly on Africa. Because of the effect tuberculosis XDR has on HIV positive patients, it could become particularly crippling in Africa. It could quickly become a global problem if there is no quarantine to stop the spread. In America, one man has already been imprisoned after being diagnosed with XDR-TB and refusing to take measures to prevent spreading it to others. His confinement has sparked an ethical dilemma.

For more information on the confinement of Robert Daniels see: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17915965/
For more on XDR-TB see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XDR-TB

Bird Flu

The CDC had a lot of information on Bird Flu. Here's a rundown of the main facts about bird flu:

• Bird Flu, also known as Avian Influenza, is caused by bird flu viruses that occur "naturally by birds" (CDC). Because of this, consumption of such domestic birds such as ducks, chickens, and turkeys can cause a transferring of the disease.
• The virus can be spread through saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Any contact with said bodily excretions can cause the contraction of the virus and accordingly Bird Flu. The virus can also reside on certain surfaces. Contact with said surfaces can lead to the contraction of the disease; this acts as a catalyst for the spread of the disease from wild birds to domestic birds.
• There are two forms of the disease: low pathogenic and high pathogenic. Low pathogenic form causes mild symptoms "such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production" (CDC) and in some cases, it can go undetected. High pathogenic form "spreads more rapidly through flocks of poultry" (CDC) thus facilitating the spread. it affects the organs and has a mortality of rate of 90-100% within a 48 hours time frame.
• There are 16 known subtypes of the virus. When people say "bird flu virus" they usually mean influenza A viruses which have been reported in both birds and humans. "Human influenza virus" refers to the 3 known subtypes of influenza viruses: H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. If there is an outbreak among several birds, there is a risk to those who have been in contact with infected birds or surfaces.
• Human symptoms include regular flu symptoms (sneezing, fever, coughing, sore throat) and "eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases....and other severe and life-threatening complications). The symptoms are dictated by which virus one has.
• Some research indicates that some prescription medicines which have been prescribed or human influenza have been known to treat avian influena in humans but it may not work in all cases.

This site was very helpful in giving an easy to understand general rundown on what Bird Flu is and how it can and has affected people along with how it is spread.

Facts about AIDS

•HIV started spreading rapidly after World War II and most likely originated in Africa
•The first case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was discovered in 1981, but recent research has proven, through blood sample, that a man in 1959 who died was infected with HIV.
•The first few cases of AIDS were found in the United States in gay men, and therefore AIDS was originally named GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency)

Ways to contract HIV:
•Intercourse
•Sharing needles or syringes
•Blood transfusions
•Breastfeeding
•Being born while the mother is infected


Facts about AIDS/HIV
•Leading cause of death for people between the ages 25-44


The difference between HIV and AIDS:
•HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
•AIDS generally occurs when the t-cell (measure of the strength of an immune system) count goes below 200

Dangers of AIDS:
•Parasitic, fungal, viral, and bacterial infections
•Certain types of cancers