A Shot against West Nile ?

[mbig]

A Shot against West Nile

In 1796 Edward Jenner discovered that infection with the relatively benign cowpox virus granted immunity against its fatal cousin smallpox.
A similar strategy might work against the deadly, mosquito-borne West Nile virus. After scientists unraveled West Nile's genetic code, they learned that its sequence strongly resembles that of the Australian Kunjin virus, which is nonlethal and less debilitating, causing mostly fever and aches. Microbiologist Roy Hall of the University of Queensland in Brisbane and his colleagues injected mice with varying levels of Kunjin DNA that had weakened virulence.
Investigators found that even 0.1 microgram of Kunjin triggered anibodies against both Kunjin and Wesr Nile. The results appeared online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA the week of Aug 11.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=16&articleID=00000D 8E-D88F-1F58-905980A84189EEDF

[wendy]

Wow..that would save what.....8 or 9 people a year in the United States?

[mbig]

Not that West Nile is the 'Black Death' but:

Colorado alone...

3 more die from West Nile
State reports 1,214 cases as virus moves to North
By Coloradoan staff and news services

Colorado West Nile death toll

The 21 Colorado residents killed by West Nile virus this year (as of Monday), according to state health officials and media reports:

Colorado's West Nile death toll climbed to 21, with three more fatalities reported Monday.

The latest Colorado victims included an 89-year-old man and a 66-year-old man from Jefferson County and a 77-year-old man from Denver, said Cindy Parmenter, spokeswoman for the state health department. Two died of encephalitis and one of meningitis, both complications of West Nile.

Colorado is the state hardest hit by the virus. As of Monday, there were 1,214 West Nile cases -- up 56 from Friday.

Larimer County, which declared a public health emergency on Aug. 18, is reeling from the virus, too.

There were 368 Larimer County West Nile cases Monday, up from 334 on Friday, according to the county health department. Many of those cases have yet to be verified by the state...""

http://www.coloradoannews.com/news/stories/20030909/news/221368.html

[wendy]

There is a very easy solution to this. Let the communities start SPRAYING for mosquitos again. I live in Georgia. We're covered up in mosquitos. We've even got asian tiger mosquitos...so there is NO safe time to go outdoors anymore. You get bit 24 hours a day.

Are we going to wait until we have a malaria problem before we start a mosquito eradication program?

[mbig]

They are spraying alot .. especially here in the New York Area where it started.

Semi-Regular patrols the last few years.

Cases are down here but up in many of other places in the Northeast and West.

Most Young people don't suffer badl with it or even know they have it.. but over 60 it's got a decent shot at killing you.

[jeny]

mbig, 36,000 people a year die from the flu. West Nile ain't that deadly.

[mbig]

Agreed. .. and I haven't argued it is that serious.

[jeny]

Agreed. .. and I haven't argued it is that serious.



Ok, so instead of concentrating on a vaccine for a not that serious disease, they should be working on ways to eradicate it at the source, the bugs and birds.

[mbig]

The article holds hope for Vaccines for all Viral diseases.

The interest of it was not just West Nile, but the implications of developing Vaccines by using similar methods for many viruses. I mean, it was from Scientific American, not some local tabloid.

Once the Virus first hit the USA, they had to look into it and found out it was similar to Kunjin.. This doesn't preclude any other work on any other disease.. but, as I said, the 'similar virus' Principle holds hope for others.

There are more than 3 Medical researchers in the World and they ARE working on every disease and condition you can name.. many by several methods.

[kathleen]

The article holds hope for Vaccines for all Viral diseases.

That's an interesting thought. I suppose that it is theoretically possible, but not until we know more about these buggers (and our immune system response to every single one of them).

Vaccines pre-infect the body so that our immune system can recognize the virus and produce the right type of antibodies in defence. The unfortunate thing is that viruses mutate quickly and often - one little change in the protein coat can make the antibody useless. Then there are the viruses that follow a lysogenic cycle - mixing their genetic code into the host's DNA. They "sleep" and reproduce without notice, until something signals their release. Herpes and HIV are examples of these kind of viruses. That's why, at the moment, these diseases are controllable, but no cure exists.

[Tiger]

Thanks mbig,

We have had our hands full with this West Nile in the last couple of weeks.

My daughter is still weak - but recovering from aseptic meningitis brought on by WN. Here in KS - we have a real problem. I was absent from here for a spell because she was in ICU.

YOu can probably find my comments months ago on how I thought it was a fluke. It's not.

By all means there should be a viable vaccine - there is one for horses and they are treated in much the same way we are.

But something goofy is going on. The number of victims is MUCH higher than is being reported. I have dealt with KDHE for over a week now. I have written them - called them, only to be on hold for an hour and been disconected. After my kid landed in ICU I started asking the docs and nurses - because in MY county in KS no cases were reported in humans yet. I thought my kid was the first one. I was wrong. She was closer to the 100th one. And she is 19 - this is supposedly happening to old folks primarily.

Yesterday in Wichita there was a large meeting between the infectious disease specialists and the a rep from the State. The State is sticking to their guns in spite of the growing number of sick folks. Let me tell you what I have learned this past week.

Your state may differ - but many are doing the same thing.

First - the State will NOT confirm a diagnosis of WN unless the victim has meningitis or encephalitis.

Second - the State will NOT accept any test results from private laboratories - saying that their testing procedures are not as accurate. Yet the national CDC claims that the private lab tests are based on the same procedure as the one's the States are using.

My daughter has STILL not been confirmed by the State - although both blood and cerebral spinal fluid tests were confirmed by two separate labs. These tests take awhile because one part of them needs a culture to be grown. The State wants two blood tests 8 days apart to be given to the victims. CSF may not be subject to that.

The docs are very upset and if you search KS papers you will find that they are calling the practice 'dangerous'. My doc said my daughter was his third confirmed case - his other cases were tested postively but were not state reportable because the brain swelling did not occur.

According to the CDC one in 300 folks bitten by an infected mosquito will develop ANY symptoms. And further - out of those folks - only 1 in 150 will become severe like my daughter.

So do the math - by the time my kid was in ICU - theoretically - just how many folks should have been bitten by these little guys.

It is LUDICROUS that my state is reporting ONLY the confirmed cases of sever infection when that is only misleading the folks as to how wide spread the disease is.

I thought this was rare. I was wrong. IT is more and more common by the day. Take my word for it - don't get bitten. This is a painful disease and young folks DO get it.

IN KS anyway - someone is dead-set on covering up the spread. Why - I have no idea. But I am not giving up until I get a satisfactory response from the State.

[kathleen]

By all means there should be a viable vaccine - there is one for horses and they are treated in much the same way we are.

It's not as easy as wishing for one. Vaccines take some time to develop.

I'm with Jen - I don't think it should be the highest priority right now. There are plenty of other viruses that are more deadly and more dangerous.

So do the math - by the time my kid was in ICU - theoretically - just how many folks should have been bitten by these little guys.

The numbers are still small - generally speaking.

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter - but if you are right about your suspicions and she did have WNV - she survived. Her chances wouldn't be that great if she had AIDS.

[Tiger]

It's not as easy as wishing for one. Vaccines take some time to develop.

I'm with Jen - I don't think it should be the highest priority right now. There are plenty of other viruses that are more deadly and more dangerous.The numbers are still small - generally speaking.


I agree. It should not be the highest priority - but it should be reported efficiently so the public know how far it has really spread. What we have is folks not wearing DEET or long sleeved shirts because they are told there are only one or two cases in their county. That is dangerously misleading. KDHE needs to report those most severe cases - but it also needs to report ALL the physican-diagnosed probability cases so a person can weigh the risks of long-term exposure to DEET against the risk of WN.

That is not a policy that will cost a great deal more money. The private citizens are already paying the labs to test their blood samples. There is no verifiable difference in quality of results. IT is simply a matter of reporting.

This is really heating up now in KS - because the cases are mounting with alarming frequency and the state is not reporting them. One elderly man died a couple of days after being hospitalized. His first blood test was positive for WN anti-bodies. HE did not live long enough for a second. He was not reported. An 11 year old boy about an hour West of us will never use one arm again. HE is relearning speech and other movements. It took 4 weeks after he became ill for the State to report him.

Too little. Too late.

If WN increases next year at the rate it did this year - it will be a real problem. Not just for us Kansans who live in rural areas - but for many in the US. Being forewarned will save many the pain my daughter had to go through.


I'm sorry to hear about your daughter - but if you are right about your suspicions and she did have WNV - she survived. Her chances wouldn't be that great if she had AIDS.


Yep - AIDS would be a death sentence for sure still today. Don't think I am not grateful she is recovering so well. I am happy about that.

My concern is that many are not recovering and the public thinks WN is a scarce disease - not one for them to be concerned about.

Our primary care physicians need to be listened to. They are treating high numbers and if you are not one of them - you won't know it.

Colorado folks are more aware. THeir state is reporting differently.

[mbig]

That's an interesting thought. I suppose that it is theoretically possible, but not until we know more about these buggers (and our immune system response to every single one of them).

Vaccines pre-infect the body so that our immune system can recognize the virus and produce the right type of antibodies in defence. The unfortunate thing is that viruses mutate quickly and often - one little change in the protein coat can make the antibody useless. Then there are the viruses that follow a lysogenic cycle - mixing their genetic code into the host's DNA. They "sleep" and reproduce without notice, until something signals their release. Herpes and HIV are examples of these kind of viruses. That's why, at the moment, these diseases are controllable, but no cure exists.


Good points Kathleen... and Your welcome Tiger.

Doctors think Thousands (Ten of Thousands) more are infected by West Nile but don't recognize it as such. In healthy younger people it can have no or little cold-like symptims.
Virtually all the fatalities are over 65 (see the Colorado article Link).