Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Beasts Aplenty


The world is on fire about arthropod-borne viruses, or "arboviruses". The simple mosquito bite can transmit a battery of diseases, including the currently popular West Nile virus, dengue virus, and zika virus. While these viruses are not new, the emergent nature has taken our media by storm, and is illuminating the universe of zoonotic diseases.


There's one virus, though, that for me, was the original. This virus has infected history and popular culture alike, but still hasn't achieved the level of fear that we see with some of these other, more emergent viruses. The fact that more people aren't absolutely terrified of this virus is beyond me, considering that it is the most deadly virus in the world, whereas dengue and zika have relatively low mortality rates.

Image from 7 Bloodcurdling Werewolf Tales That Will Keep You Up at Night
The rabies virus is a unique, non-segmented, negative stranded RNA virus of the Rhabdoviridae family. Unlike most diseases that hijack the circulatory system for dispersal through the body, rabies attacks the nearest nerve. The virus actually replicates in the nerve cell, slowly moving up to the brain.


The rabies virus is quite literally shaped like a bullet. The lipid envelope is lined with glycoproteins that help with viral attachment.
The slow progression is part of the issue, because most people don't know they've been exposed to the virus until much later, when the symptoms start to set in. By the time symptoms occur, the virus has replicated and multiplied significantly, so a large amount of virus hits the brain.

The first symptoms are nonspecific and mild, with fever, weakness, headaches, and malaise. Some patients report a tingling and itching sensation at the site of the bite. After the nonspecific symptoms, confusion, anxiety, and agitation set in. Cerebral dysfunction leads to fits, and the body starts to lose the ability to sense temperature, pain, and pressure. These fits lead to erratic behavior.

It is common for patients to experience a phobia of water, too. As the virus is most commonly transmitted by bite, the fear of water is an evolutionary advantage for the virus. Without water, the virus is concentrated in saliva, without being diluted by water, making it more likely to be transmitted.

It is also possible for patients to experience "dumb rabies", with lethargic and comatose-like symptoms prior to death.

Once these symptoms start, recovery and survival is extremely rare. Disease progression usually lasts between 1 and 3 weeks, from start to finish. There have been only a small number of people who have survived a rabies infection, some from experimental treatments, and others for unknown reasons. Post-exposure prophylaxis of human anti-rabies antibodies needs to be administered before the onset of these symptoms, otherwise death is guaranteed.

Given its intense lethality, rabies has inspired a significant amount of medical development. Louis Pasteur developed the first rabies vaccine in 1885. Pasteur achieved successful development of the vaccine by serial attenuating, or weakening the virus in rabbits.

Rabies kills approximately 60,000 people a year, worldwide. We don't typically worry about it here in North America, due to pet vaccination and local animal control, so most of the deaths occur in poor, rural, and developing regions of the world. In the last two weeks, though, Sheffield, MA has been experiencing the worst rabies outbreak in decades. Residents of Sheffield have reported rabid foxes, skunks, and even a RABID WOODCHUCK.


Rabies has played an integral part in the development of some of the most horrific monsters. The concept of man morphing into a wild beast evolved from human exposures to animal diseases. The best examples of this are the werewolf and Dracula (or, vampires in general).



It all starts with a bite.





3 comments:

  1. Hey, Dude your blog awesome, I am going to copy all these points for our next post
    Microscope

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to thank Dr Emu a very powerful spell caster who help me to bring my husband back to me, few month ago i have a serious problem with my husband, to the extend that he left the house, and he started dating another woman and he stayed with the woman, i tried all i can to bring him back, but all my effort was useless until the day my friend came to my house and i told her every thing that had happened between me and my husband, then she told me of a powerful spell caster who help her when she was in the same problem I then contact Dr Emu and told him every thing and he told me not to worry my self again that my husband will come back to me after he has cast a spell on him, i thought it was a joke, after he had finish casting the spell, he told me that he had just finish casting the spell, to my greatest surprise within 48 hours, my husband really came back begging me to forgive him, if you need his help you can contact him with via email: Emutemple@gmail.com or add him up on his whatsapp +2347012841542 is willing to help any body that need his help. 

      Delete
  2. Do You Need A Powerful Africa Native Doctor? I Mean A Spiritual Herbalist
    With Great Spirit Connected To Ancestors. Call or WhatsApp +2349058774809 Dr Obodubu Monday Is A High Voodoo Priest Master. He is a Spell Caster, Native
    Doctor, Spiritual Herbalist, Powerful Sickle cell Healer, Spiritual
    Astrologer, Psychic Reader, Multi Guru, Witch Doctor, Priest Of Africa
    Money Ritual.
    Have You Been To Native Doctor to Native Doctor Without Any Solution To
    Your Problems Or Rather Add To it? Have You Been To Place To Place In View
    Of A Powerful Native Doctor That Can Solve All Your Predicament, You Must
    Understand That There Is A Native Doctor That Supersede All Native Doctor
    Among All Native Doctor, If You Are In Search Of A Powerful Native Doctor
    With Great Spiritual Powers, Then You Must Be In Search Of A Native Doctor
    That Derives Power From The Marine World. That Is The Spirituality Of The
    Greatest Africa Native Doctor Obodubu.
    Dr Obodubu Is Recognized All Over The World Of Marine Kingdom, As One
    Of The Top Fortunate And Most Powerful Native Doctor Of Charms Casts From
    The Beginning Of His Ancestors ship Until Now Dr who lives Strong
    Among All Other Native Doctors, There Have Never Been Any Form Of
    Impossibility Beyond The Control Of Dr Obodubu. It Doesn't Matter The
    Distance Of The Person With The Problems Or Situation, All You Have To Do
    Is Believe
    In The Native Obodubu charms Casts That Works, He Always
    Warns Never To Get His Charms Casts If You Do Not Believe Or Unable To
    Follow His Instruction.
    It Is The Assignment Of The Native Doctor Obodubu To Offer
    Services To Those In Need Of Spiritual Assistance Not Minding The Gravity
    Of Your Situations Or Distance As Long As Water, Sea, Ocean, Lake, River
    Sand etc. Are Near You, Then Your Problems Of Life Would Be Controlled
    Under Your Foot.
    If You Need Any Spiritual Help On Any of These:
    Get Your Lover Back
    Fruit Of The Womb
    Fibroid
    Business Boom
    Financial Breakthrough
    Get Rich Without Ritual WhatsApp +2349058774809
    Do As I Say
    Bad Dream
    Promise And Fail
    Epilepsy
    Spiritual Attack
    Land/Court Case
    Mental Disorder
    Political Appointment
    Visa Approval
    Cancer
    Examination Success
    Spend And Get Back
    Good Luck
    Natural Health
    Hypertension
    Diabesity (Diabetic+Obesity
    Stroke
    Sickle Cell
    Impotency
    Win Court Case
    Promotion At Work
    Commanding Tone
    Protection Ring
    Marriage Success
    Love Ring
    Favour Ring
    Recover Lost Glory
    Spiritual Power For Men Of God
    Travel Success Ring
    Job Success
    Lotto/Pool Win And Many More.
    Make Haste To Call or WhatsApp Dr Obodubu Monday +2349058774809. Or Mail Him to
    babadoctorobodubuspiritualhome@gmail.com For Spiritual Problem Today And
    You Will Surely
    Get Solution To All Your Predicament.
    Email: babadoctorobodubuspiritualhome@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete