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.

Group work - rate an instructional text

When looking at these instructions, confusion may arise as its elements, namely text passages and illustrations, are combined in a rather chaotic way. Since it is not obvious which picture corresponds to which passage, it is hard to follow all the steps. Furthermore, neither the steps nor the illustrations are numbered and therefore, it is not clear where to start. A good recommendation features not only a list of required components and tools, but also the estimated time required for assembly, which is not the case here. Although the author used the correct way of addressing the reader by using active and imperative language, the building steps are rather vague and contain minimal information. The fact that the text passages are written by hand may irritate and distract the readers and also inhibits their ability to comprehend the instructions. All in all, the quality of it is rather low and thus will not only confuse the readers, but also discourage them from using it. As it lacks the necessary elements of a decent guide, it renders the instructions not very helpful for non-professionals.

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CAJ - MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

History

The Staphylococcus Aureus bacterium was first discovered in the 1880s. At that time, the bacterium usually caused painful skin and soft tissue conditions, but it could also progress to serious illnesses, such as bacterial pneumonia and bacteria in the bloodstream.

When the antibiotic medicine penicillin was discovered in the 1940s, the treatment for Staphylococcus Aureus infections became routine. After some years, however, S.A. infections became resistant to penicillin. Therefore, a new medicine, similar to penicillin, was introduced: methicillin. But it was only a matter of time before the bacteria also developed resistance for this kind of medicine. This resistance is referred to the birth of MRSA – the first human case came in 1968.

Causes and Spread

Staph are common bacteria that can live in our bodies (mainly in our noses) and most people are not being infected by it. Nevertheless, those bacteria could be a problem if they get into the body, e.g. due to a cut. So, the risk of an infection increases immensely.  

When it comes to the spread of the disease, it is mainly transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and especially occurs in contact sports, like rugby, wrestling etc. But, of course, you can also contract MRSA when touching contaminated objects, such as towels, weight training equipment …

Symptoms

In most cases, MRSA appears as a skin infection, looks like a pimple, boil or spider bite and is usually red, painful and swollen. Sometimes staph bacteria also infect the lungs and cause pneumonia. The latter can be recognized by fever, shortness of breath, cough and chills.

Treatment

Most often, staph infections are minor and do not require special treatment. In those cases the doctor only makes an incision and drains the skin boil. In case of pneumonia or infected wounds, however, further treatment is needed – antibiotics. Over time, though, some strains of staph developed resistance to antibiotics, like penicillin, methicillin and many others. But, fortunately, other kinds of antibiotics still work.

CAJ - H5N1 virus - AVIAN FLU or BIRD FLU

History

It all began in 1997 when the H5N1 virus, which is highly pathogenic, first infected humans during a poultry outbreak in Hong Kong.

Since 2003 the virus has spread throughout south-east Asia and to several other regions of the globe. As it in some countries became entrenched in poultry, millions of poultry was infected which also led to hundreds of human cases and even deaths.

These outbreaks had serious effects on livelihoods, the economy and international trade in the affected countries.

Causes and Spread

Wild birds were infected by the H5N1 virus and transmitted the disease to farm-raised birds, like chicken, turkeys, ducks, etc. When people get in contact with these animals, it is more likely to become infected. However, the virus can also be passed through bird droppings and their saliva on cages, tractors and so on. As far as the spread from human to human is concerned, it is rather unlikely to contract avian flu from an infected person.

Fortunately, people also do not have to be afraid of eating fully cooked poultry since the virus is killed by the heat.

Symptoms

The first symptoms of the bird flu, which usually begin within two to five days of infection, resemble those of the common flu: cough, fever, muscle aches and sore throat. Some people also suffer from a mild eye infection which is the only indication of the disease. Apart from that, the bird flu can progress to pneumonia as well as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and leads to death after about 9-10 days if no doctor is consulted.

Treatment

The disease’s treatment depends on what the H5N1 virus is doing to your body. Sometimes, plain antiviral medicines are prescribed in order to feel better. However, experts are concerned that these medicines are effective because viruses become resistant in the course of time.

Infected patients usually are treated in an isolation room so that the risk of passing the illness on is lowered. Moreover, the hospital staff is required to wear gloves and gowns when a patient is treated. Due to breathing problems, patients, in some cases, get a ventilator, a specific machine that helps a person breathe or breathes for the person. Other patients, in turn, may need dialysis, a treatment for kidney failure.

Sadly, more than 50% of H5N1 infections cannot be cured and lead to death.

Group 18 - Boy With Toy Hand Grenade

On this black and white picture you can see a blonde, little boy, standing in a park and looking straight into the camera. He is wearing dark, short dungarees, a white, patterned shirt, sneakers with white shoelaces and wool socks. The left strap of his dungarees is hanging loose. In his right hand he is holding a hand grenade and his left hand is cramped.

By looking at his face, it might seem as if the boy was quite unordinary. It leaves an impression as if he is staring into your soul. He is twisting his mouth in a rather disturbing way, suggesting that he was potentially mentally damaged by a tragic event that he might have experienced while being very young. To describe the boy’s physique, it might be correct to use the idiom “all skin and bones”. “Fit” and “healthy” would not be appropriate attributes to use.

The road the boy is standing on is visible throughout the whole picture. It is accompanied by trees and is fading somewhere in the background. Behind the boy you can see two tree trunks and a series of other smaller trees on a vast area covered with grass. On the meadow, a woman in a dark dress is standing, possibly watching the boy and the photographer. In the right corner you can see an elder woman in a long, dark coat, walking hand in hand with a young child.

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Homework - news item

The mysterious flight MH370

Sometimes, planes just vanish from radar screens, but reappear after a while. On Saturday, March 8th 2014, however, a plane of Malaysian Airlines, carrying 240 passengers, vanishes without a trace. Somewhere between one and two hours after its departure, flight MH370, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, is detected for the last time above the South China Sea. About 12 hours after the last contact, Malaysian, Vietnamese as well as Singaporean search and rescue teams start off to search for the lost plane. For a short time it is assumed that the plane has crashed in Vietnamese maritime territory, but soon afterwards is denied. In order to get further information, waiting families are offered a transfer into a nearby hotel. Unfortunately, some relatives already suspect that something horrible has happened and freak out. At first, many of them also get told that flight MH370 has not even taken off. …

News item:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/08/malaysia-airlines-plane-mh370-kuala-lumpur-beijing-boeing-777

Homework PART 1

A day in the life of ...

ME :)

For me, a typical day, no matter if I have uni or it’s weekend, starts with a huge cup of coffee, as otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to get dressed. Having taken “tons” of caffeine, I’m finally able to leave my apartment without being rude to someone. Yesterday I didn’t have any lessons and as it was such a sunny day, the first thing I thought of was walking up the Schlossberg and enjoying my day up there. Since I hate being alone, my boyfriend joined me. Before the “climbing” we got some coffee and up there looked for a nice place on a meadow where we leaned back and enjoyed the warm rays of the sun. Suddenly I startled up because I felt something moving on my legs. A dozen ants were crawling on them. As it was pretty annoying we moved our blanket to another spot where we first assured ourselves that it’s free of ant trails. We stayed there until sunset and afterwards stopped by at our favorite coffee shop Barista’s for a shake. Then we still went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for dinner and eventually headed for home. Back at home we cooked Lasagna and ended up watching TV until we fell asleep. :)