CAJ - Food poisoning

Some of you might have already experienced a food poisoning. It’s a horrible medical condition that sometimes can have serious consequences and even lead to death. Apart from parasites and toxins, a food poisoning is most frequently caused by viruses or bacteria. 

When it comes to a food poisoning that was caused by a virus, the Norovirus is often involved. This kind of virus is responsible for about 90% of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. The most common symptoms of this disease are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Overall, the virus is rather harmless as no long-term problems will develop. Nevertheless, due to the high loss of body water (dehydration) medical treatment should be required.

In terms of bacteria that cause a food poisoning, the most known ones are Salmonella. These bacteria can also cause gastroenteritis and another infection called salmonellosis. The latter often develops when you have eaten raw eggs. Moreover, it is also transmitted by several animals such as chickens, hamsters as well as infected pet reptiles and amphibians. In most cases the people feel well within a few days and therefore don’t require medical treatment.  Some, however, do require antibiotics and a few even hospitalization for diarrhea and dehydration.

Another form of bacteria that causes a food poisoning is Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria   hides in many foods such as sprouts, soft cheese, smoked seafood and raw milk. Usually these bacteria will not kill you either, provided that you are not one among those patients with underlying risk factors. Patients who suffer from listeriosis could die if they do not get supportive care. Actually, it is very easy to prevent this infection, namely by taking measures such as proper food handling and preparation. In Austria there has been a case where a certain kind of cheese with listeria in it was sold. Even though it was known that the cheese contains listeria, no measures were taken, or were at least taken too late.  This carelessness claimed the lives of six people. A very sad story as this could have been easily prevented.

CAJ - Aids and HIV

 

 

 

In terms of AIDS and HIV, the most common mistake people tend to make is to say that both terms refer to the same disease. However, there is a major difference between these two: the abbreviation HIV means Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is only the name of a disease’s pathogen which leads to the weakening of the immune system. Only the entirely developed stage of the disease is called AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The point is that even though the cause of AIDS is always the HI-virus, not every HIV-infected person suffers from immunodeficiency. Thanks to special therapies, infected people can live for years and even decades without developing the life-threatening disease.

History:

Around the 1980s HIV was first discovered by two different research teams. Almost at the same time the first cases of AIDS occurred in the USA. Since then the HIV infection has developed itself to a dangerous disease being one of the biggest medical problems of our time. Annually, about 3.5 million people contract the virus and about 35.5 million people live with the virus today. Since the beginning of the epidemic 36 million people have died.

STIGMA OF HIV

HIV is everywhere. People all over the world suffer from it. South Africa has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS compared to any other country in the world with 5.6 million people living with the virus. AIDS was at first considered a disease of gay men and drug addicts, but in Africa it took off among the general population. So it was passed on from mother to child. Furthermore, many Africans can’t afford themselves to buy contraceptives. It’s almost like a vicious circle. In Western countries, to the contrary, AIDS is referred to the disease of drug-addicted people. In reality, however, drug addicts only make up a small percentage of HIV-infected people. In most cases the virus is transmitted during unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner. The main problem is that many people are careless when it comes to contraception.

 

Should immigrants from Eastern countries undergo compulsory HIV testing?

I think it would be good to consider that, but actually every person is herself/himself responsible for doing HIV testing. And so is every person responsible for watching out to not contract the virus!!!

 

Homework - Polaroid camera

Тhe phenomenon of the Polaroid camera

Do you remember these amazing cameras that immediately develop photographs after having pressed the shutter-release button? Apart from a predecessor model from 1860, the first instant camera, as we know it today, was launched in 1947 by the American scientist Edwin Land, the founder of the Polaroid Corporation.

But how does an instant camera function? Does it consist of a mini printer? – There is a simple answer to it: it is a chemical reaction and the secret is in the film. In order to make an immediate photo development possible, the camera is loaded with film packs containing sheets of plastic negatives instead of a usual film. In contrast to regular cameras, this photographic material already contains the necessary chemicals for photo development as its photosensitive layers - developer layer, image layer, timing layer and acid layer - correspond to the negative film. Once you have snapped a picture, the development process is initiated in the form of a chemical reaction under the surface of the silver compounds on the negatives. Then the four layers react in the presence of a reagent (the chemical that triggers the reaction) and the colors that are captured in the silver layers of the negative are produced. When the photograph is ejected, the particles of the chemicals are simultaneously spread and the image is produced. After that the photograph still needs some seconds to fully develop.

That is it! That is the secret of the Polaroid camera. Hopefully your curiosity has been satisfied!

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Introducing my CAJ – viral and bacterial threats

What is a viral infection?                                                                                                              A viral infection is referred to a disease that can be caused by various types of viruses, such as the influenza-virus. These infections can occur in different places in the body. While some are predominantly in the intestine, others prefer the lungs and airways. When you have a viral infection, people usually suffer from fever, diarrhea, shortness of breath and other complaints.

What is a bacterial infection?                                                                                                       A bacterial infection is referred to any type of infection caused by bacteria rather than a virus. Since bacteria are very common in our bodies and in the world around us, only about 1% of bacteria will actually make us sick. Most times, bacterial infections are treated with several kinds of antibiotics, based on the symptoms and the diagnosis.

It can happen at any time that you fall ill because you were infected with bacteria or contracted a virus. Fortunately, in most cases, these viral and bacterial infections are harmless up to a certain stage of disease.  By harmless I mean that these infections can easily be treated, provided that they are detected at an early stage. 

Apart from very common viral and bacterial threats, such as influenza, chicken pox, MRSA and AIDS, there are also some others that appear as an epidemic (frequent appearance of a disease within a particular region or population) or even as an pandemic (frequent appearance of a disease, however, not within a certain region, but spread across countries or continents). Both the bird flu and the mad cow disease serve as well-known example for a pandemic.

CAJ: MERS coronavirus – the danger from the desert

Another viral threat that is currently making trouble is the MERS coronavirus (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). This virus is very similar to the SARS coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then the virus has claimed more than 150 lives, mainly in the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring countries. But suspected cases were also reported in 14 other countries such as Great Britain, the USA, Egypt, Holland etc.

What is the MERS coronavirus?

The virus can cause flu-like symptoms, but also lead to severe pneumonia and kidney failure. Sometimes it doesn’t even cause any symptoms. Therefore, many infected people were only “detected” in the course of a routine examination they had to undergo as they were in contact with other infected people. The two biggest problems: 1) the actual number of people that contracted the virus can’t be calculated. 2) There is NO vaccination or therapy for the virus. Moreover, the mortality rate exceeds 30% which is very high in comparison with the SARS-virus (approximately 10%).

But where does the virus come from?

According to a recent study, the source of pathogens are probably dromedaries. A nationwide examination of blood and fecal samples of these animals showed that three quarters of all Arabian camels are infected with the MERS virus. However, it hasn’t yet been completely explained how and when the pathogens were passed from the dromedaries to humans.

Do we have to fear a pandemic?

In my opinion, the many pilgrims who come to visit the holy places in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah should be aware of the risks of contracting the virus. The best solution would be to see a doctor after their trip.  I think there might be some further cases, but I don’t think that it’s going to result in a pandemic.

CAJ: The EBOLA virus

Most of you may have never heard of this kind of virus before, and so didn’t me. Only a few weeks ago I first heard about it when I was reading a newspaper article.

How dangerous is the Ebola virus?

With a mortality rate of about 90%, the Ebola virus is considered to be one of the most dangerous pathogens. “Luckily” it has only occurred in Africa so far, predominantly in the Republic of the Congo where it was discovered in 1976. In the past few months at least 59 people in Guinea were killed by the highly pathogenic virus. Moreover, six suspected cases were reported in neighboring Liberia, of which five resulted in death.

But how is the virus transmitted and how does it affect the people?

Fruit bats of a certain plant are considered to be the natural host of the virus. But primarily it is transmitted to people from wild animals and then spreads through human-to-human transmission (through blood and other body fluids). Having contracted the virus (the incubation period is typically two days to three weeks), it makes the people very sick within a very short time. The illness is characterized by fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, sore throat and followed by impaired kidney and liver function and even internal and external bleeding. The patients need intensive supportive care, however, the problem is that, despite intensive research, there is no licensed specific treatment or vaccine available. That’s why Ebola virus outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.

Why aren’t there any cases in Europe or on other continents yet?

The answer is simple: Due to the fact that the infected patients get severely ill within a very short time, they “fortunately” aren’t even able to travel to other countries. Thus, the risk of bringing the disease to other continents is very low. Once there has been a suspected case in Canada, but according to the authorities hasn’t been confirmed.