Archive for the ‘Virus Killer’ Category

Nigeria: Tackling the Lassa Fever Epidemic

43 years after the first case of Lassa fever was recorded, the country is still grappling with the virus that is transmitted by hairless tailed bush rats that abound in the country. With more than 40 lives already lost and over 400 others infected this year alone, Olaolu Olusina examines the inadequate surveillance system and lacklustre response to the killer virus which is responsible for some 5,000 deaths every year

Nigerians were indeed jolted when the news of a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever was broken by the Federal Ministry of Health about seven weeks ago. Many were further worried at the revelation that the disease, which had spread into 12 states including Edo, Taraba, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Plateau, Nassarawa, Ebonyi, Ondo, Rivers, Anambra and Lagos States, was being transmitted through a species of bush rats.

At the last count, the government disclosed that hospital records showed that over 40 lives had been lost to the disease which had assumed epidemic proportions with over 400 persons already infected. Edo and Taraba topped the list of states with the highest casualty figures while about 50 million Nigerians are believed to be at risk from the disease which is even killing doctors and nurses.

Rapid Response Committee

The federal government officially responded to the outbreak of the disease on February 22, six weeks after it had wreaked havoc in more than 12 states with the inauguration of a 23-member Rapid Response Committee chaired by Professor Sunday Omilabu, a professor of Virology and Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

Charged with the task of preventing and controlling a further outbreak and spread of the virus, the committee, which also has Dr. Henry Akpan of the Federal Ministry of Health as secretary, is expected to submit its full report and recommendations by June.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the aim of the committee was to coordinate federal and state governments as well as development partners' response in controlling further spread of the virus.

He disclosed that the federal government was concerned with the spread of Lassa fever in Nigeria, saying the government had earlier initiated a National Lassa Fever stakeholder's forum in 2007 to advocate for action against the virus.

"Government would continue to support the treatment of all reported Lassa fever cases with prompt preposition of ribavirin drugs and personal protective equipment. This year, 500,000 vials of the ribavirin drugs were procured and distributed to the affected states," he said.

The minister also restated the resolve of the federal government to do everything possible not only to control the Lassa fever epidemic but to put in place a mechanism for its effective prevention.

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Nigeria: Tackling the Lassa Fever Epidemic

Killer sheep virus 'may last for a year': Deadly disease spreading at alarming rate, experts warn

By Tamara Cohen

Last updated at 1:48 AM on 2nd March 2012

A killer virus blighting sheep and cows is likely to be here for another year and is spreading at an alarming rate, experts warned yesterday.

Schmallenberg virus has already been detected at 83 farms in England, killing thousands of newborn lambs or causing them to be born with serious deformities.

Yesterday experts said it was likely to be made worse by the warm weather and could spread across the whole country, putting another breeding season at risk.

Under threat: Sheep are at risk from a new virus from Europe which is threatening to ravage flocks across Britain

Professor Peter Mertens, of the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright in Surrey, said the spread was much faster than the bluetongue virus which hit Britain in 2007 causing devastation.

Both are spread by biting midges, but bluetongue affected fewer animals and remained in the south east for several months before spreading nationwide.

Schmallenberg has already rapidly swept across 14 counties, causing lambs to be stillborn or have deformities such as fused limbs, misshapen heads and twisted necks.

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Killer sheep virus 'may last for a year': Deadly disease spreading at alarming rate, experts warn

The Virus Which Plagues Our Financial System

Looking at the general equity markets overall, we can clearly see that the fear of sovereign debt downgrade and economic slowdown which started last summer, ended during the fall. After four months of uncertainty on whether the bankers and government would allow another downward spiral in the economy and stock markets like we had in 2008, we now have our answer. The system will not be allowed to naturally correct and adjust as free markets would have them do. Banks which own toxic assets are no longer keeping financial records under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or applying mark to market valuation for the assets they hold on their books. However we really cant blame the banks for the entire problem we see in the financial world, they have been given bandages to conceal the wounds from the publics eye.

Todays western financial world operates much like our government sponsored medical system. Mask the problem and give the bankers the pharmaceutical drugs (bail out money) to help them dull the pain and keep them on life support. Letting the free markets work in curing the ailment is not an option because then there would be little need for doctors (governments) or the manufacturers of these drugs (central banks). The banks are sick and should be allowed to pass on peacefully ensuring the virus known as debt does not affect the rest of the population. Unfortunately, the governments and central bankers have only one prescription drug of choice to keep them alive. Printing money seems to be the cure to all sovereign debt problems around the world.

How much money was doled out to sick banks during the last few years is anyones guess since the drug dealing central bankers do not share information about the patents they hold (monopoly on money) or their sales figures (bailout money). There is absolutely no transparency on the amount of placebos they prescribe to every patient in the financial system or who is taking these pills to stay on life support. Lord James of Blackheath seems to think that the Fed injected these dying banks with $15 Trillion dollars of live saving drugs, but where did the placebos come from? He does a good job trying to explain it (Bush, Fed, Europe Banks in $15 Trillion Fraud, All Documented) but no one is listening. This doesnt surprise me: as long as the patient is still alive, who cares?

The Natural Cure to Kill This Virus

The western financial system based on pure fiat currency is the virus that will be the death of the financial world as we know it. Taking more and more of the same drug makes your immune system resilient to that drug, so each additional dose becomes less effective. Printing more and more money does not cure the financial system, but it in fact weakens our immune system to the point where the drug becomes a toxic mix of chemicals that will lead us to our death bed. An ancient healing system known asAyurveda,the knowledge for long life, has been used for thousands of years in India. Its an ancient healing system which aims to naturally treat and heal the body, mind and spirit much like yoga, which also brings balance into your life. The financial world is out of balance and no dose of printing will cure its problems, it will only mask the virus brought on by the bankers which is now spreading throughout the world.

So how do we kill the virus know as paper money and debts? Its very simple, you can starve the virus by taking away the food which allows it to grow in the first place, which means taking the printing press away from central banker, something they wont give up easily. Or you can introduce a virus killer into the system to cleanse it and eliminate 99% of the ailments caused by this virus we know as debt and paper money. This virus nurtured by central bankers could easily be killed with the use of gold and silver as money in our monetary system and thus eliminating the need for a central bank. Ayurveda has been used for thousands of year to naturally heal and maintain a good balance between mind, body and spirit. For most of history, silver and gold has been used as money and has all the properties we need for a sound financial system. Silver was used as a common currency for everyday transactions by the average person, where gold was mostly for a store of value for the wealthy. Outside of money, silver also has many industrial uses including film, solar and electronics. One of the few uses that is rarely discussed is medical uses for silver, including its ability to kill 99% of the known viruses thus helping eliminate the need for unnecessary medicinal drugs manufactured by big pharma. Spend a few hours googling silvers medicinal properties and you will see what I mean.

So what does this mean for me and my financial health?

Dont rely on big pharma, your government or central banks to protect your health and wealth. The system is not designed to protect you. In fact it is now stealing your wealth through inflation by endless printing of money. The real wealth is being transferring to people who take the necessary steps to protect themselves by owning the very thing that the bankers covet the most, gold and silver. History has show us over and over again that owning gold and silver is the best way of protecting yourself when currencies become devalued or inflated away to nothing.You must take responsibility for you own actions in life, which means taking the necessary precautions to protect your wealth and health in order to bring balance back to your life, something Indians have known for thousands of years.

Gold Trading Range

In last weeks review, we mentioned that gold was trading in a sideways channel between $1,720 and $1,750 which is a good development for gold. The longer this consolidation and trading range held in terms of time, the less likelihood a downside correction would occur. As more people start accepting a $1,700+ gold price, it will eventually lead to higher stock prices in the gold mining shares.

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The Virus Which Plagues Our Financial System

New light shed on cause of lung injury in severe flu

Public release date: 29-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

While some scientists report engineering a super virulent strain of the H5N1 influenza virus, which could potentially wipe out a significant percentage of the human population, another group of researchers from the United Kingdom now reports a discovery that may one day help mitigate the deadly effects of all flu strains. This report, appearing in the March 2012 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, describes findings that may help prevent deaths from severe flu outbreaks, especially from seemingly healthy young people. Specifically, the researchers found that immune cells called, "natural killer T cells," may reduce the overwhelming numbers of another type of immune cell, called "inflammatory monocytes," which when present in large numbers, lead to lung injury at the end stage of severe flu infection.

"We hope this study will ultimately benefit individualsespecially the youngwho succumb to a severe form of flu infection," said Ling-Pei Ho, M.D., Ph.D., the researcher who led the work from the MRC Human Immunology Unit, Oxford University in Oxford, United Kingdom. "The study highlights a key immune process that occurs in severe flu infection, and provides a platform for a new approach and further research in this area."

To make their discovery, scientists infected three groups of mice with H1N1 flu virus. (Note: this is NOT the H5N1 flu virus that has been at the center of recent controversy.) The first group included normal mice; the second group was devoid of natural killer T cells, and the third was given a treatment that specifically activated natural killer T cells. Researchers observed the outcome of flu infection and found that the mice without natural killer T cells did worst, and those with activated killer T cells did best. Mice that lacked natural killer T cells had increased amounts of monocytes in the lungs, and severe lung injury similar to those seen in Spanish flu and lethal swine flu. Using highly-sensitive fluorescent antibody technology, this study was one of the first to document the sequential changes in innate immune response in the lungs during severe flu infection. These findings essentially provide a "road map" of the chronological changes in the lungs during severe flu infection.

"Despite affecting practically everyone, the flu may be one of the most underestimated viruses in terms of its devastating potential," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. "As the H5N1 research shows, it is quite possible for the virus to mutate or be bioengineered into a form that could wipe most of us out. What most people don't realize is that the severe illness from these flu strains is caused by both the virus and an overaggressive or inappropriate immune response. Research like this, however, offers hope that we'll be able to find more universal ways improve the effectiveness of immunity and combat the severe strains of the flu."

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The Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigatins focusing on the cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and on the origins, the developmental biology, biochemistry and functions of granulocytes, lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes and other cells involved in host defense and inflammation. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology is published by the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Details: Wai Ling Kok, Laura Denney, Kambez Benam, Suzanne Cole, Colin Clelland, Andrew J. McMichael, and Ling-Pei Ho. Invariant NKT cells reduce accumulation of inflammatory monocytes in the lungs and decrease immune-pathology during severe influenza A virus infection. J. Leuk. Biol. March 2012; 91:357-368; doi:10.1189/jlb.0411184; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/91/3/357.abstract

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New light shed on cause of lung injury in severe flu

Novel technique jumpstarts immune system's killer cells against cancer

London, Feb 27 (ANI): Researchers have described a promising new technique that potentially could turn immune system killer T cells into more effective weapons against infections and possibly cancer.

The technique involves delivering DNA into the immune system's instructor cells. The DNA directs these cells to overproduce a specific protein that jumpstarts important killer T cells.

These killer cells are typically repressed in patients who have HIV or cancer, said Jose A. Guevara-Patino, MD, PhD, senior author of the study. Guevara is an Associate Professor in the Oncology Institute of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

Guevara and colleagues reported their technique proved effective in jumpstarting defective immune systems in immuno-compromised mice and in human killer T cells taken from people with HIV.

Guevara said a clinical trial in cancer patients could begin in about three years.

The study involved killer cells, known as CD8 T cells, and their instructor cells, known as antigen-presenting cells. The instructor cells instruct CD8 T cells to become killer T cells to kill infected cells or cancer cells - and to remain vigilant if they reencounter pathogens or if the cancer comes back.

In addition to getting instructions from the antigen-presenting cells, CD8 T cells need assistance from helper T cells to become effective killers. Without this assistance, the killer T cells can't do their job.

In patients who have HIV, the virus destroys helper T cells. In cancer patients, helper T cells also are affected. Among a tumor's insidious properties is its ability to prevent killer T cells from attacking tumors. It does this by putting helper T cells into a suppressed stage, limiting their ability to assist CD8 T cells, said Andrew Zloza, MD, PhD, one of the leading authors of the study.

In the study, snippets of DNA were delivered into skin instructor cells by a device known as a gene gun. The DNA directed the instructor cells to produce specific proteins, which act like molecular keys. When CD8 T cells interact with the instructor cells, the keys unlock the CD8 T cells' killer properties - jumpstarting them to go out and kill pathogens and cancer cells.

With the use of this technique, the killer T cells would not need the assistance of helper T cells. So even if a tumor were to put the helper T cells in a suppressive cage, the killer T cells would still be able to go out and kill cancer cells. Researchers expect that future studies using the technique will make it applicable to many diseases, including cancer.

The study has been published in Nature Medicine. (ANI)

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Novel technique jumpstarts immune system's killer cells against cancer