Could there be a cheap preventive measure humans can take against viral diseases, that isn't being discussed presently?
What is one simple factor linking the relative courses of bacterial and viral infections?
IRON
I've been super curious for many years now re: the odd relationship between the bio-availability of iron and the rate of infection/rate of disease progression on the individual scale.
I first found out about the manipulation of iron as a medicine a few years back, after a series of Buruli infections had been in the news. If I recall correctly, Buruli is a waterborne bacterium that occasionally infects humans and acts as a flesh-eating agent.
Apparently some doctors who specialized in skin care found a way to retard the progress of the flesh eating Buruli -- they discovered by accident that clay applications rich in certain forms of Iron caused the bacteria to be unable to propagate!
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It's fairly well-known within the scientific community that iron affects the progress of many types of deadly viruses and bacteria.
It's been in the news within the last 4 years as well that certain bloodlines of humans carry genes for a condition called Hemochromatosis -- a disease that George Washington was suspected to have had (explains the need for frequent bleedings!) -- and scientists only recently discovered that the disease hemochromatosis may actually have been a very useful evolutionary mechanism by which ancient humans avoided death by common infections.
We know that Sickle Cell Anemia evolved in response to Malaria infection rates in Africa -- due to changes in the blood, Malaria isn't able to propagate in people who carry the genes for Sickle Cell or who display the traits of the symptoms...
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Is there any reason not to try?
Since Ebola victims/patients are bedridden and isolated anyway, is there any reason not to try some unorthodox treatments, like altering blood iron level and lowering body temperature in order to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the blood.
It seems to me that people already suffering from Ebola and other viruses could benefit from treatments that dramatically reduced the ability of the virus to survive in the human body.
Seems like people at high risk for exposure could just pop a pill that changes their blood composition just barely enough to avoid infection/propagation of the virus.
p.s. the incubation period for this recent Ebola is longer and that's exactly why it was able to fool us this time -- people didn't wait the extra 7 days to go back outside and mingle, and the virus is able to infect magnitudes more people with that extra 7 days to incubate and perhaps even start to hyperconcentrate.
One has to wonder, does iron play a role in how quickly Ebola is able to do grievous damage to the internal organs, and if this is preventable by anticipating that.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK BTW: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hot_Zone
p.p.s. is there a way to manipulate some Iron-reducing bacterium to make it impossible for Ebola to propagate and create the black crystals that damage the body so much?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_bacteria
http://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/hal-drakesmi...-and-infection
http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/journa...micro1930.html
http://healtheiron.publishpath.com/iron-infron availability and infection (1)
In this 2009 review of the literature the author notes that, "To successfully sustain an infection, nearly all bacteria, fungi and protozoa require a continuous supply of host iron."
"Mechanisms of microbial iron acquisition are determinants for the kinds of cells, tissues and hosts in which pathogens can flourish."
And with respect to human and other "hosts," "As a corollary, hosts possess an array of iron withholding devices whereby they can suppress or abort microbial invasions."
"Awareness of environmental and behavioral methods that can prevent iron loading plus development of pharmaceutical agents that can block microbial access to iron may help to reduce our dependence on antibiotics."
other suppressed cures:
http://www.realclearscience.com/jour...on_108610.html
As shown above, all of the monkeys that did not receive BCX4430 (labeled "vehicle") died by day 12. However, every monkey (except for one) that received a dose of BCX4430 survived, even if the initial dose came 48 hours after infection. In total, 17 out of 18 treated monkeys lived.
http://www.infoplease.com/cig/danger...y-disease.html
CNN LYING ABOUT TREATMENT:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/01/he...html?hpt=hp_t2
What treatment will they receive?
There is no specific treatment for Ebola. Doctors can administer only "supportive therapy," which means supporting the patient's own immune system as it tries to battle the infection. This usually involves intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and shock. This therapy for Ebola patients could also include blood or platelet transfusions and oxygen therapy.
Ebola can last two to three weeks, so patients would remain in isolation until their symptoms subside and tests come back negative for the virus.