Political Crossfire Forums

ubikk · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 2091

Wow, this doesn't sound good. In fact, it sounds potentially a lot worse than terrorism.
I wonder if we'll see quarantines?

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Fears of 'extreme' TB strain
New drug-resistant infection is 'nightmare' say health experts

Robin McKie, science editor
Sunday September 3, 2006

Health experts are to hold an emergency meeting in Johannesburg this week, following the discovery of a deadly new strain of tuberculosis. The strain - known as extreme drug-resistant TB - has horrified World Health Organisation doctors. In one outbreak in South Africa, 52 of 53 patients died within weeks of becoming infected.

'This new strain leaves us facing a nightmare,' said Paul Nunn, coordinator of the WHO's drug-resistance unit. 'It is resistant to nearly every drug in our arsenal. We are now on the threshold of the appearance of a strain of TB that is resistant to every medicine known to science.'

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1863850,00.html

David · Joined: 29 Dec 2003 Posts: 11900 Location: Louisiana

Avian Flu was a big bust so I guess now they will try this.

ubikk · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 2091

David wrote: Avian Flu was a big bust so I guess now they will try this.

Guess we'll see. The article was kind of vague, and I guess it's turning up a lot in HIV patients, but I've never known things like this to get any weaker with time. They usually get stronger .

David · Joined: 29 Dec 2003 Posts: 11900 Location: Louisiana

Always.It's like those antibacterial soaps they sell in the stores.They kill 99.9% of bacteria and the .01% just get stronger and stronger.

ubikk · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 2091

David wrote: Always.It's like those antibacterial soaps they sell in the stores.They kill 99.9% of bacteria and the .01% just get stronger and stronger.

Yeah, the problem with those is that 99.9% of the bacteria they kill don't even make you sick. Bacteria can trade resistance between strains though the exchange of DNA plasmids or fragments, so the ones that do make you sick can pick up the resistance from the ones that don't.

People are way too phobic about germs, and the people who want to sell the products don't help with their commercials.

Swandazi · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 265

The TB strain will probly just mutate rendering it completely harmless and people will laugh at it.. Just like the Avain Bird Flu.

ubikk · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 2091

Swandazi wrote: The TB strain will probly just mutate rendering it completely harmless and people will laugh at it.. Just like the Avain Bird Flu.

Even if the brd flu doesn't hit, it's likely that a new flu pandemic will occur in the near future. It's not a matter of if, it's win. The last one was in the late 60s and it was not too bad, fortunately, but eventually, something will break out.

Izzibeth · Joined: 12 May 2006 Posts: 423

hehe. mother nature is freaking out... trying to come up with viruses quickly so she can thin our population a bit. ^_^ avian flu didn't work very well cuz we caught on to it too fast and may have come up with a vaccine... so she'll try this one on for size and see how it does. :P

tim109 · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Virginia

The interesting thing is that it is the relatively common viruses and bacteria that the news makes a huge deal about. You don't see reports about the readiness of the U.S. to a possible E. Bola epidemic, do you? E. Bola is, if anything, possibly more dangerous than Bird Flu, but Bird Flu gets the attention because many have had the flu, and this is worse.