Comments on: Lab escapees http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/10/13/lab-escapees/ Meddling with things mankind is not meant to understand. Also, pictures of my kids Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:45:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Passerby http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/10/13/lab-escapees/comment-page-1/#comment-41567 Passerby Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:59:01 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1431#comment-41567 On the danger of reintroduction of an old, unstable strain: dengue hemorrhagic fever. From Medline (a convenient source to quote, but any of dozens of medical webpages contains similar wording): "Four different dengue viruses are known to cause dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue hemorrhagic fever occurs when a person catches a different type dengue virus after being infected by another one sometime before. Prior immunity to a different dengue virus type plays an important role in this severe disease." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001373.htm Introducing an old strain that is sufficiently different from presently circulating, locally adapted DENV just might suddenly goose exposure rates. Under the right climate conditions, it means a sudden surge in deadly DHF among susceptible induhviduals (prior exposure to other strains, female, < 12-yo, Caucasian are important factors), as DHF has a decidedly depressing mortality rate. The newly identified DENV-3 genotype (V) was isolated from a DHF victim. Further, the virus is unstable. It's going to mutate. On the danger of reintroduction of an old, unstable strain: dengue hemorrhagic fever.

From Medline (a convenient source to quote, but any of dozens of medical webpages contains similar wording):

“Four different dengue viruses are known to cause dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue hemorrhagic fever occurs when a person catches a different type dengue virus after being infected by another one sometime before. Prior immunity to a different dengue virus type plays an important role in this severe disease.”

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001373.htm

Introducing an old strain that is sufficiently different from presently circulating, locally adapted DENV just might suddenly goose exposure rates. Under the right climate conditions, it means a sudden surge in deadly DHF among susceptible induhviduals (prior exposure to other strains, female, < 12-yo, Caucasian are important factors), as DHF has a decidedly depressing mortality rate.

The newly identified DENV-3 genotype (V) was isolated from a DHF victim.

Further, the virus is unstable. It's going to mutate.

]]> By: Even microbes want to be free « Deepbiology http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/10/13/lab-escapees/comment-page-1/#comment-41563 Even microbes want to be free « Deepbiology Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:18:35 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1431#comment-41563 [...] disease in the UK was almost certainly anescaped lab strain from the Pirbright Research Center. 5 The problem with the conspiracy theories6 isn’t that virologists say lab escape is impossible. We [...] [...] disease in the UK was almost certainly anescaped lab strain from the Pirbright Research Center. 5 The problem with the conspiracy theories6 isn’t that virologists say lab escape is impossible. We [...]

]]> By: Even microbes want to be free « Deepbiology http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/10/13/lab-escapees/comment-page-1/#comment-41560 Even microbes want to be free « Deepbiology Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:16:42 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1431#comment-41560 [...] systems, Peter Palese’s group was able to show that the 1977 H1N1 was actually an old strain,2 described in 1950, that had re-appeared without any evidence of evolution throughout the dozen [...] [...] systems, Peter Palese’s group was able to show that the 1977 H1N1 was actually an old strain,2 described in 1950, that had re-appeared without any evidence of evolution throughout the dozen [...]

]]> By: Pandemic patterns: Is the influenza pandemic going away? | Mystery Rays from Outer Space http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/10/13/lab-escapees/comment-page-1/#comment-36227 Pandemic patterns: Is the influenza pandemic going away? | Mystery Rays from Outer Space Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:05:18 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1431#comment-36227 [...] next pandemic was 1977-1978, when H1N1 returned.  I don’t think we have good data for that, because the main measure was death, and that [...] [...] next pandemic was 1977-1978, when H1N1 returned.  I don’t think we have good data for that, because the main measure was death, and that [...]

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