Tag: antibodies

In Dire Need of Swine Flu Vaccine

According to the World Health Organization, efforts for developing a swine flu vaccine has been ongoing since the first human case of the virus has been confirmed. Estimates place the initial doses of the vaccine will be administered in 5 to 6 months time.

While people diagnosed with H1N1 virus seems to be headed for recovery, there have been deaths recorded. Aside from that, receiving vaccines for this virus is important particularly the elderly and individuals with a weak immune system, since they are prone to complications such as pneumonia.

Likewise, the vaccine will serve as protection in case the condition persists particularly during the winter months which is the time when influenza is at its peak.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), although they are still incomplete, current evidence shows that seasonal influenza vaccines will provide minimal or no protection against swine flu. Every year, a new batch of flu vaccine is developed and matched with strains that the WHO determines will most probably circulate in the winter months, which happens to be the peak season for influenza outbreaks.

Influenza virus comes in various strains which contains different proteins on their surfaces. The body’s immune system can only fight and destroy a virus if they are able to recognize these proteins. It is worth noting that antibodies that recognize one strain may not detect other strains.
Existing vaccines may only offer some protection against swine influenza if the proteins on its surface are identical to strains used to develop previous vaccines. According to the NIBSC, they are trying to determine if the swine flu virus, which is an H1N1 strain of type A influenza, as well as previous H1N1 vaccines match current vaccines.

The preparation of a vaccine commences after a virus develops as they provide the starting point for the production of the vaccine. As such, there is always a time delay while a vaccine is being developed. Preparation of a vaccine involves several steps so it would take several months before a vaccine becomes available.

According to WHO estimates, the virus needed for producing the vaccine will be accessible to vaccine manufacturers by the middle of May while the initial dose for a new vaccine would be ready within 5 to 6 months after that. Waiting time would be much longer if the growth of the vaccine proceeds rapidly.

Vaccination plays a crucial role in the prevention and reduction of the effects of serious conditions. Unfortunately, they are not entirely effective and could lose its effectiveness if the virus mutates.
Existing flu vaccines are valid for about one year and are 70% – 80% effective against transmission with strains of influenza virus that are identical to strains used in the production of vaccines.

The WHO believes that it is too early to tell how the A(H1N1) virus would change. It is closely monitoring any changes in the virus and this would help countries quickly react to any important changes that the virus may show.

Vaccines help the body combat certain diseases in case an individual becomes afflicted with the illness in the future. On the other hand, an antiviral drug is used on people who is already infected with a virus. Although they work in various ways, they generally work to prevent the virus from spreading to different cells in the body.

Swine flu vaccines are administered prior to exposure to a virus so they would be protected from that agent. Antivirals only work if administered within a certain period of time before or after they are exposed to the virus.

An Overview of Swine Flu

Swine flu or influenza is a condition caused by strains of subtypes of Influenza A virus called H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H3N3. These viruses are common in pigs located in midwestern United States, Canada, South America, Mexico, Mainland China, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, and other Eastern Asian countries.

Transmission of influenza virus from swine to humans is relatively uncommon and does not always result to human influenza but often leads to production of antibodies in the blood. When properly cooked, pig meat does not have the potential of passing the virus. Transmission that leads to human influenza is called zoonotic swine flu.

People who work with pigs, particularly those with direct exposure, are at greater risk of being infected with swine flu. Towards the middle of the 20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became likely paving the way for an accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, 50 infections have been confirmed and recorded.

It is rare for these strains of swine flu to be transmitted from one human to another. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to common influenza as well as influenza-like illness such as chills, sore throat, fever, coughing, muscular pains, severe headache, and general discomfort.
The 2009 swine flu outbreak in humans was caused by a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 which have genes that closely resemble swine influenza. The root of this new strain is not known. According to the World Health Organization for Animal Health, this new strain has not been isolated in pigs. It is capable of human-to-human transmission and manifests the normal symptoms of influenza.

Swine can be infected with human influenza such as the case of the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2009 flu outbreak. Swine flu was first proposed as a disease associated with humans during the 1918 flu pandemic. During that time, pigs became simultaneously sick with humans.

Influenza virus as a cause of disease in pigs was first identified in 1930. For the next six decades, strains of swine influenza became almost exclusively H1N1. From 1997 to 2002, new strains of three varied subtypes and 5 different genotypes were identified as the cause of influenza among pigs in North America.

From 1997-1998, H3N2 strains developed. They included genes acquired through reassortment of human, avian, and swine viruses and have been a principal cause of wine influenza in North America. Reassortment between H1N1 and H3N2 resulted to the development of H1N2. In Canada, a strain of H4N6 resulted from the reassortment of avian and swine flu but was isolated on a single farm.

The H1N1 variant of swine flu is one of the descendants of the strain that brought about the 1918 flu pandemic. While persisting in pigs, the descendants of the 1918 virus have also been transmitted throughout the 20th century which resulted to the usual seasonal influenza outbreaks.
It is interesting to note that direct infection from pigs to humans is rare, with only 12 confirmed cases in the United States since 2005.

However, since the influenza strains remain in the pigs after they have disappeared in the human population can make these pigs a reservoir where the influenza virus could survive and later on transmitted to humans as soon as their immunity to the strain is no longe effective.

Swine flu has been recorded as zoonosis in humans several times, oftentimes with limited distribution and rarely with massive distribution. Swine outbreaks are common and can lead to significant economic losses in the industry, mainly leading to stunting and expanded market time. Swine influneza, for instance, the British meat industry has experienced 65 million of losses annually.

The Science of Arthritis

The Science of Arthritis
Adam Waxler

In order to understand how to handle arthritis pain, you need to understand how the body works and how arthritis can impede the body from working properly. Once someone has a general understanding of the science behind arthritis, one can better understand how to handle arthritis pain and get some arthritis relief.
First of all, there are several different types of arthritis. The two most commonly known forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are three other major types of arthritis. These other forms of arthritis are systemic lupus erythematosis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout. Lets take a look at each:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) This form of arthritis mainly affects women. It develops in the skin, internal organs and joints.
Ankylosing Spondylitis This form or arthritis affects the spine and can also affect the ankles, knees, lungs, heart, shoulders and eyes.
Gout This is a painful affliction mainly for men, about one million of them in the United States alone. Uric acid build up, due to an internal chemical malfunction, forms crystals that get stuck in a joint, generally the big toe, and become inflamed.
Where two bones meet, called joints, are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy, elastic, and spongy or compressible, and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint. Healthy joints can handle some fairly heavy pressure. For example, when taking a walk a persons knees handle a force of three to four times a persons total body weight, while deep knee bends can increase to nine times the bodys weight. Unfortunately, arthritis effects how joints function properly in your body.
Surrounding the bones and cartilage is a strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium, a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid. The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones. This fluid also feeds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is pumped into them during joint movement. Therefore, lack of movement can be unhealthy. By understanding more about how joints work it is easy to see why exercise plays a crucial role in arthritis relief.
Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural fighting mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help. These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis pain, are redness, swelling and tender joints.
The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown. Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. Many arthritis experts also point to issues relating to bacteria as one of the main culprits causing arthritis. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. Likewise, diet, poor circulation, and lack of movement have also been connected to arthritis.
While it appears that arthritis may be caused by many factors, the good news is that at least some of these factors can be controlled. Clearly, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise will go along way towards arthritis relief.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

About The Author

Adam Waxler publishes a series of health & fitness information products and web sites including his new resource filled with with FREE articles and tips on Arthritis Pain Relief & Prevention @ http://www.1-800-health-teacher.com/arthritis.

Food Allergies in Kids

Food allergies are a common problem in kids. Nearly two million children have food allergies in the United States. Some food allergies are life threatening, even if the food is taken in very little quantity. Peanut tops the list of notorious foods which cause allergies. Following it are milk, especially cows milk, soy, eggs, wheat, seafood and other nuts.

Food allergies are caused when the immune system is confused. The job of the immune system is to protect the body from diseases, bacteria, viruses and germs. The antibodies produced by the immune system helps to fight these minute external organisms which makes the person sick. But if the body is allergic to certain food, the immune system mistakes the food to a harmful foreign substance and takes action towards it thinking that it is dangerous to the body. The body acts adversely, when it isnt supposed to do so.

When the immune system detects allergic substance, the antibodies produce mast cells. They are a kind of immune system cell which release a chemicals, such as histamine, in the bloodstream. These chemicals affect the respiratory system, digestive system, nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Initial symptoms are runny nose, tingling sensation in the lips or tongue, and itchy skin rash like hives. The reaction can be mild to severe and depends on every individual. The symptoms can appear right after the food is consumed or after few hours. Other symptoms are cough, wheezing, nausea, hoarse voice, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and throat tightness.

A sudden and harsh allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. The patient encounters many problems, all at once which involve blood vessels, the heart, digestion, breathing, and skin. The blood pressure drops very steeply, the tongue swells and there is swelling in the breathing tubes. Patients who have such allergic reactions should be ready to handle emergencies. They should always carry some type of medicine which will help to combat or reduce the adverse affect of the food.

Most of the times, it is very easy to detect the cause of food allergy. Problems such as hives begin to surface as soon as the child eats the substance he is allergic to. At other times, it becomes very difficult to determine the cause of allergy. In such cases, everything should be observed under close surveillance. Food items which are made out of many ingredients should be thoroughly checked for the allergic cause. Most of the times, allergies are inherited from other family members or other kids born with food allergies. Changes in the surroundings and the body play a major role in these kinds of cases. Some of the kids arent actually allergic to the food and show only mild reaction. Like people who are lactose intolerant suffer from diarrhea and belly pain after consuming milk and diary products. This is not an indication that the child is allergic to milk. This reaction happens because their body is incapable of breaking down the sugars which are found in diary products and milk.

If the conditions are severe, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If food allergy is diagnosed, the doctor refers to an allergy specialist. The doctor asks questions like eating patterns, past allergic reactions and the time period between the consumption of food and the surfacing of the symptoms. The specialist can also ask about allergy related conditions like asthma or eczema and whether allergic reactions are hereditary. Usually skin test and blood test is done to test the antibodies and the reaction they have on the skin when it is exposed to the allergic substance.

Kids who are allergic to egg and milk outgrow them as the age progresses. But allergies which are severe and are related to items such as peanut, shrimps, and some kind of fish, last for a lifetime. Other than food, children can be allergic to certain medicines and flower pollen. The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the cause of it. No specific medicine has been developed for the cure of allergies.

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