ebola spreading?

[TengLeong Chew]

In article <c601591-1305951249370001 at 128.206.12.143>,
Don Haut <c601591 at mizzou1.missouri.edu> wrote:
>
>The primary host of Ebola and other Filoviruses has not been identified as
>yet despite the best efforts of the experts in this area.  While I do
>agree that finding the normal host is important, it is highly unlikely
>that this will lead to a vaccine or cure for the hemoragic fevers cause by
>these viruses.  It will allow us to prevent transmission of the virus to
>humans and it will allow us to do better research on the viruses but it
>will not give us a magic bullet as was the case in "outbreak"  which
>everyone must remember was FICTION.

	=)...I laughed so hard at this part the whole theater thought I
was crazy. They give 200 cc of antisera to everyone in the town, and all
this from one single monkey. Besides, don't you develop toxic shock in no
time if you receive 200 cc of antiserum from a different species?

>Viruses are, in many cases, the perfect predator.  They use your cellular
>machinery to live so it is extraordinarily difficult to attack them
>without effecting you.  Indeed there is only one good anti-viral drug
>(acyclovir) andit works only moderately well against Herpes viruses. 
>Vaccination is currenly our only solid weapon against viruses and there
>are many viruses against which we have no good vaccine (HIV, VZV,
>Filoviruses).  The bottom line is that we need more basic science research
>in viral molecular biology (this is where acyclovir came from) and humman
>immunology.  Only through understanding these processes will we be able to
>effectively fight viruses of all kinds.  Will we ever be safe from all
>viruses?  Probably not.  Viruses, like bacteria, change and evolve much
>more rapidly than we do, so every time we come up with something that will
>kill them, they will come up with something which will beat us (note the
>increased prevalence of multi drug resistant bacterial pathogens). 
>Greater understanding of these pathogens themselves and there interaction
>with our immune systems is our only chance at keeping up with them.

	Although I agree with almost everything you said, I do want to
point that I am even more pessimistic than you. There is almost no way we
can "fight" the virus with drugs on a permanent basis. This is an endless
evolutionary battle in which we are tryig to outdo each other in terms of
the rate we adapt. By trying to combat viruses with antiviral drugs, we
force them to adapt and evolve one step ahead of us since we are
"protected". The only way to go would be vaccination which challenge our
immune system to respond to the pressure first. 

>Now, for all of you who think this post is some shameless ploy designed to
>get you to contact your congressmen or represenatives and demand they
>increase the funding for basic research in these areas.....  it is!

	Very well said, Don. Try to post this in soc.culture.scientists
and see what those supposed "scientists" is gonna say. I did, and it was
not a pretty picture at all.


 - T. L. Chew



	

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