Bacterial and viral infections have many things in common. Both types of infections are caused by microbes — bacteria and viruses, respectively — and spread by things such as: Coughing and sneezing. Contact with infected people, especially through kissing and sex. Contact with contaminated surfaces, food, and water. Contact with infected creatures, including pets, livestock,…
Recently my brother suffered heart failure and had a five vein bypass. He is better and recovered stronger than before. One of the things that we found out was when his heart failed he had walking pneumonia. This did not cause his heart failure, but created the additional stress on this heart as he was…
South Korea reported a 10th death from a MERS outbreak on Thursday, although officials say they believe the disease has peaked. The victim was a 65-year-old man who had been treated for lung cancer and was hospitalized in the same facility as another MERS patient, the Health Ministry said. The outbreak of Middle East respiratory…
As U.S. relations with Cuba thaw, one unexpected byproduct could be the introduction of a Cuban-developed vaccine to fight against cancer. A vaccine in the U.S. Called Cimavax, an innovative vaccine that was developed to help treat lung cancer patients in Cuba, where lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death. The immunotherapy…
What is a Blood borne Pathogen? Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needle-stick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the…
In this month’s National Geographic, I came across a fascinating article about antibiotic resistance. The recent scare in California of a bacteria, spread in hospitals through a special type of scope used in the pancreas and bile ducts, is raising awareness. CRE is not only spread through medical devices, but through wounds and stool. The…
The Pre-Vaccine Era The history of measles dates back to the 9th century when a Persian doctor published one of the first written accounts of measles disease. Francis Home, a Scottish physician, demonstrated in 1757 that measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood of patients. In 1912, measles became a nationally notifiable disease…
Working with Deadly Pathogens Because Ebola is highly contagious, health care workers in the U.S. wear protective equipment (Personal Protective Equipment-PPE) to prevent transmission. Items worn include: Mask: Prevents infectious agents from getting into mucus membranes inside the mouth nose or eyes. Gloves: Keep broken skin from contact with infectious fluids r needle sticks. workers…
Ebola’s effects on humans Ebola can be spread to humans only after symptoms have begun. Symptoms can appear from two to 21 days after exposure. Day 5-9: Fatigue, headache, fever and chills Day 10: High fever, vomiting blood, rash, passive behavior Day 11: Bleeding from the nose, mouth, eyes, and anus Day 12: Seizures, internal…
How does Ebola spread to humans? Good question to ponder. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected fruit bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, forest antelope, and porcupines found ill or dead…