SARS mutating - Darkforum.com - Dark Stories, Dark Art, Poetry, Photography, Debates and Discussions

Feroluce · **SARS mutating -** 04-22-03

Quote:

The virus thought to cause Sars is constantly changing form, say scientists - which will make developing a vaccine difficult.

The Beijing Genomics Institute reported that the virus is "expected to mutate very fast and very easily".

Other experts have warned that, once established, it could be particularly hard to stop the Sars virus causing problems.

Sars appears to be caused by a new strain of a coronavirus which may have "jumped" from animals to humans in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.

So far the strain has killed more than 200 people, mainly in China, Hong Kong, Canada and Singapore.

The number of new cases in China continues to rise, with the authorities admitting over the weekend that the virus is more widespread than previously acknowledged.

Teams of inspectors are being sent into remote regions to aid prevention efforts.

Dr Adrian Mockett, vaccine specialist
There have now been almost 4,000 probable cases, according to the World Health Organization.

Scientific teams are racing to produce a vaccine against the new strain, but have warned that this make take years.

And experts say that a vaccine may only offer limited - and temporary protection.

Other strains of coronavirus can cause "common cold"-like infections in humans.

They are also a significant cause of illness in various types of animals, particularly poultry.

Dangerous changes

Every virus is capable of mutating.

Although the virus contains a large amount of genetic information, every time it is "replicated" inside a cell, tiny genetic "mistakes" are made.

Some of these may harm the success of a virus, leave it unchanged - or make it better at infecting and replicating in humans.

Natural selection means that "mistakes" that end up benefiting the virus will lead to the creation of strains that are more virulent, or more easily transmitted from human to human.

Dr Adrian Mockett, who has helped developed coronavirus vaccines for use in veterinary medicine, told BBC News Online the virus had particular characteristics that could prove a problem in humans.

"The ability of the virus to mutate has been a real problem in poultry vaccines.

"The virus has the ability to change quite quickly - a vaccine might be suitable for a while, but not forever."

Water problem

He said that because it was likely the new strain of coronavirus had only just "jumped" to humans, newer versions better suited to living in humans were possible.

He said that other coronaviruses in animals had mutated so that the infection could be spread not only through coughs and sneezes, but also through faeces - raising the possibility that a future outbreak could be transmitted through tainted water supplies or contaminated food.

Scientists believe that the current strain is transmitted through droplets coughed out of the lungs, but are still not certain about other possible routes of transmission.

Even if a vaccine works at first, said Dr Mockett, he said that the "duration of immunity" had yet to be determined.

He added: "You only get one chance to eradicate something like this - once it's established, you've got a real problem."

The characteristics of coronavirus and the way it infected humans meant that future vaccines were likely to work in the same way as flu vaccines - with different components needed to tackle a variety of common strains.

However, he said that if different strains evolved in north America and the far East, a jab that worked in one place would offer no protection in the other.

KNOWN DEATH TOLL
Hong Kong: 99
China: 97
Canada: 14
Singapore: 16
Vietnam: 5
Thailand: 2
Malaysia: 2

Billy the Kidd · 04-22-03

the Chinese government is actually spinning this virus as comming from vietnam, even though more people in china have been affected than in vietnam.

errantrogue · 04-22-03

captain TRIPPS baby... captain Tripps...

Sixgun_Symphony · 04-22-03

This could turn into a catastrophe like the flu epidemic of 1918 which killed more people than the war.

Iron's Rite · 04-23-03

"Come on Mary
don't fear the Reaper."

RedMeat · 04-23-03

What it doesnt tell you is that SARS isnt all that contagious, nor does it have a high fatality rate. It needs very close contact compared to regular flu so any quarantine put into place should be highly effective.

Billy the Kidd · 04-23-03

lol, SARS is something used to scare the shit out of people and keep em glued to the TV set so they know when to run out and buy duct tape and plastic sheeting... SARS is just a fluke, its almost as scary as BUM BUM BUUUUM West Nile Virus where they spent half the schools budget on killing mosquitos... not that i wasnt glad the mosquis were dead, just ya know it was completely unnessacary...remember that simpsons episode where a bear wandered from the woods and was rumaging everyones trash? and all of a sudden they passed an anti bear law and Homers taxes jumped to 1000 bucks to have armies patrolling the streets to stop bears? yeah kinda like that.

Jordyn · 04-23-03

this concerns me...maybe a new black plague...except this time rather than rats we do ourselves in? What were the four riders of the apocolypse...famine, pestilence...what's left?

Feroluce · 04-23-03

war and death

RedMeat · 04-23-03

Quote:

Originally posted by Jordyn
What were the four riders of the apocolypse...famine, pestilence...what's left?

Starr and Lennon.

This just reminds me of the Mad Cow disease hysteria.

Feroluce · 04-23-03

But because of the incubation period of pryons, we still don't know if we've heard the last of mad cow disease..

The real concern with Sars now is that it looks like it mutates in each host so there are as many strains as victims, all it takes is one to get strong enough to kill anyone and things will get messy.

Of course, people who don't believe in evolution are immune

RedMeat · 04-23-03

I`m more scared of choking to death on a burger than CJD, more deaths from that I bet.

Hey someone had to create this thing thats all I`m saying...and if God didnt who did?

Billy the Kidd · 04-23-03

evolution is satans misinformation! SAY YOU LOVE JESUS SAY IT!!!!!

Necropolis · 04-23-03

It reminds me of aids in many ways, do you think that now, viruses(?) are getting more complex due to harder living conditions?

Billy the Kidd · 04-23-03

living conditions have actually been improving in the last 200 years.

thefinalw0rd · 04-23-03

I think they meant living conditions for the virus, not people...but I'm not sure.

Necropolis · 04-24-03

I di mean harder living conditions for the virus, more virus die off, means that only the more strongest virus live to contiue to infect.

neonwraith · 04-24-03

It can be quite easily treated though, it's adapted (Some say designed.....) to kill the weak. China must be loving this. Release a virus that kills the weak and vulnerable (97% of China's population) and suddenly a population boom which is starving the nation becomes a mass funeral pyre and it's fun for the family.....

Neon

Sixgun_Symphony · 04-24-03

"SARS"? C'mon, its just a nasty flu virus. So far its nowhere close to being as bad as the epidemic that went around the world in 1918.

RedMeat · 04-24-03

Quote:

Originally posted by neonwraith
It can be quite easily treated though, it's adapted (Some say designed.....) to kill the weak. China must be loving this. Release a virus that kills the weak and vulnerable (97% of China's population) and suddenly a population boom which is starving the nation becomes a mass funeral pyre and it's fun for the family.....

Neon

Some guy on BBC news 24 said the fact that fatalities are across the age ranges rather than just being able to kill children and the elderly makes it not desgined to target the vunerable. Unless it has to do with varying immune system levels or something.