Does Surviving The Plague Mean You Will Eventually Contract An Autoimmune Disease?
BY MIKE MAGEE
This Fall, I am teaching a 4-week course on “How Epidemics Have Shaped Our World” at the President’s College at the University of Hartford. It is, of course a timely topic, but also personally unnerving as we complete a third year under the shadow of Covid-19.
Where does one begin on a topic such as this? Yale historian, Frank M. Snowden, in his book “Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present”, made his intentions obvious. He would begin with the plaque. Why? His answer, “The word ‘plague’ will always be synonymous with ‘terror’”, and especially references:
...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 26, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Health Policy Public Health Autoimmune. Disease Mike Magee Plague Source Type: blogs
Streptomyces – the smell of life
The Mall in Central Park, New York City in late autumn on a rainy day
Did you know that humans can detect the smell of wet soil 200,000 times better than sharks sense blood? [1] It appears our olfactory abilities are not that bad after all, at least when it comes to finding potential sources of food. Petrichor, the term to describe the scent was coined in 1964, by scientists I. Bear and R.G. Thomas, meaning “petros” – stone and “ichor” – the blood of the gods [2] in Greek.
Divine or not, Streptomyces is a genus of over 800 bacterial species and subspecies responsible for the eart...
Source: GIDEON blog - September 15, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology Microbiology News Source Type: blogs
Is COVID-19 the new plague?
written by Dr. Stephen A. Berger
A frightening pandemic arises from animals in Asia and spreads westward, killing thousands in Italy, France, Spain, and many other countries. The more severe infections are characterized by cough and fever, leading to progressive pneumonia. There is no specific treatment available, and entire cultures live in fear and uncertainty.
And so, during 541-542 C.E. Yersinia pestis the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, spread out from China into the Byzantine Empire. Few were spared, and an estimated 25 to 100 million Europeans went on to die during repeated waves of infec...
Source: GIDEON blog - March 27, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Ebooks Epidemiology Events Outbreaks Source Type: blogs
Campylobacteriosis in Scandinavia
For more than twenty years, rates of campylobacteriosis in Scandinavia have been more than 50% above those of Europe as a whole. [1]. During 1995 to 2000, approximately 20-to-60 cases per 100,000 were reported in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden; increasing to 60-to-100 cases per 100,000 during 2010 to 2018. [2] Similar regional trends have been reported for EHEC (enterohemorrhagic E. coli) infection; while rates of yersiniosis have been decreasing.
Sweden = Laboratory reports other countries = Cases
References:
1. Berger S. Campylobacteriosis: Global Status, 2019. 157 pages , 102 graphs , 1,584 references. ...
Source: GIDEON blog - July 29, 2019 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Dr. Stephen Berger Tags: Ebooks Epidemiology ProMED Source Type: blogs
Tropical Travel Trouble 004 Bloody Diarrhoea
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
aka Tropical Travel Trouble 004
A medical student who has just returned from their elective in Nepal presents with 1 week of bloody diarrhoea. He has been in the lowlands and stayed with a family in the local village he was helping at. It started three days before he left and he decided to get home on the plane in the hope it would settle. He is now opening his bowels 10x a day with associated cramps, fevers and has started feeling dizzy.
Questions:
Q1. What is dysentery ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - March 12, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Neil Long Tags: Clinical Cases Tropical Medicine amoebic dysentery bacillary dysentery e.histolytica entamoeba histolytica shigellosis Source Type: blogs
Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 204
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
Just when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia FFFF…introducing Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 204.
Question 1
Richard Doll published an epidemiology paper in 1950. What had he discovered?
+ Reveal the Funtabulous Answer
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The link between smoking and lung can...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - September 7, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Neil Long Tags: Frivolous Friday Five addison's disease bubo bubonic plague cancer endocarditis JF Kennedy Libman Sacks moritz roth richard doll roth spots SLE smoking Source Type: blogs
Celebrating 10 years of Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites
Thank you for joining me today to celebrate 10 years of blogging with Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites! I can ' t believe that my very first entry on this blog was posted on March 25, 2007.For my celebration, I invited all readers to submit their artistic parasite creations, and was amazed by all of the outstanding entries I received. They are all below for your viewing pleasure. I entered the name of each person who submitted something into a hat and then randomly selected 5 names.And the winners are:Rachael LiesmanSidnei SilvaPrakhar VijayMelanie BoisKevin BarkerI will contact each winner separately about your prize (...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - March 26, 2017 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Campylobacter and Yersinia in Scandinavia
The incidence of yersiniosis in Scandinavia has been declining in recent years, while that of campylobacteriosis continues to increase. Regional rates for both diseases exceed those reported for the European Union (see graph). [1-3]
1. Berger SA. Campylobacteriosis: Global Status, 2014. 104 pages, 96 graphs, 1073 references. http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/disease/campylobacteriosis-global-status/
2. Berger SA. Yersiniosis: Global Status, 2014. 59 pages, 59 graphs, 382 references. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/disease/yersiniosis-global-status/
3. Gideon graph tool – see http://www.gideononlin...
Source: GIDEON blog - April 27, 2014 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Dr. Stephen Berger Tags: Ebooks Epidemiology ProMED Campylobacter Scandinavia Yersinia Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 287
Answer: Kissing Fleas! (Ctenocephalides sp. - dog and cat flea) From Blaine Mathison who really outdid himself on this one:Twas the night before Christmas when all through the housethe fleas were all nestled in the fur of the mouse. They paired with their loved ones under a sprig of mistletoe,A gift from Cousin Chigoe, from down south in the toe.The larvae were pupating in the bed of the host,carrying Dipylidiumcysticercoids, an infectious dose! The Yersinia pestis churned in the foregutuntil such time when the proventriculus would erupt!All of a sudden there appeared such a clatter!The fleas sprang from t...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - December 22, 2013 Category: Pathologists Source Type: blogs
Yersinia review
Excerpt from a book review of Yersinia: Systems Biology and Control:"There are only a few publications on systems biology studies of infectious processes and no summary literature. In this respect, this book is very timely. It presents a comprehensive analysis of all the components and processes of an infectious process, including applied Omic technologies and biochemical analysis, described in the book in detail. The focus is on the adaptation of the pathogen to the host or in the case of the Y. pestis to life in the flea and the response of host cells to infection with Yersinia. A successful and easy-to-understand book, ...
Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. - April 12, 2013 Category: Microbiology Tags: Microbiology Book Reviews Bacteriology Book Reviews Molecular Biology Book Reviews Source Type: blogs
Graves Disease
Pathophysiology of Graves Disease
1) Graves disease is marked by hyperfunctioning of thyroid gland owing to stimulation by autoantibodies
2) has exacerbations and remissions
3) if untreated, leads to eventual thyroid failure
Signs and Symptoms
1) fine hair
2) muscle wasting
3) exophthalmos
4) pretibial myxedema
5) fatigue/weakness
6) palpitations/nervousness/tremor/sweating
7) diffuse goiter
8) emotional lability
9) weight loss
10) tachycardia
11) bruit and thrill over thyroid
12) some Graves disease patients can have loss of eyebrows particularly laterally in the later stages of the disease
Characteristic Test Findings
...
Source: Inside Surgery - March 2, 2013 Category: Surgeons Authors: Editor Tags: Endocrinology Source Type: blogs
Proposed US policy on dual use research of concern
The US Office of Science and Technology Policy recently released proposed guidelines for maximizing the benefits and minimizing misuse of life sciences research. The measures establish oversight responsibilities for universities and other institutions that receive Federal funding:
Specifically, such institutions would be required to review their current life sciences research involving those pathogens or toxins deemed to be the most dangerous or most amenable to misuse, and then work with the researchers and funding agencies to develop appropriate risk mitigation plans.
This adds to a previously announced internal policy...
Source: virology blog - February 26, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Information avian influenza H5N1 bioterrorism DURC life sciences research OSTP viral virology virus Source Type: blogs
USMLE Questions – Characteristic Disease Findings
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is designed to emphasize knowledge of clinical scenarios and clinical pearls, even on Step I. Listed below are some commonly encountered disease findings and characteristics.
Feature
Disease
45, X chromosome
Turner’s syndrome
5-HIAA increased in urine
Carcinoid syndrome
Aganglionic rectum
Hirschsrpung’s disease
Apple-core sign on barium enema
Colon cancer
Arched back (opisthotonos)
Tetanus
Argyll-Robertson pupil
Syphilis
Ash leaf on forehead
Tuberous sclerosis
Auer rods
Acute myelogenous leukemia
Austin Flint murmur
Aortic regurgitation...
Source: Inside Surgery - January 18, 2013 Category: Surgeons Authors: Editor Tags: Surgpedia USMLE diseases findings VMA water hammer pulse Source Type: blogs
Epidemiology Virulence Genes and Reservoirs of Enteropathogenic Yersinia species
Epidemiology, Virulence Genes, and Reservoirs of Enteropathogenic Yersinia speciesfrom Riikka Laukkanen-Ninios and Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa writing in Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology:Enteropathogenic yersiniosis is caused due to foodborne infection with Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. Several virulence factors have been identified that are common to these two pathogens even though Y. pseudotuberculosis is genetically more related to Y. pestis, which is typically transmitted by fleas and not through foods. Diarrhoea and abdominal pain are the mos...
Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. - January 8, 2013 Category: Microbiology Source Type: blogs
