Interesting article on 1918 flu epidemic

[selenay]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5385894.stm

It's interesting to me because I remember a professor at uni speculating that the killing factor of the 1918 virus could have been a cytokine cascade triggered by the body's response to the virus, which is very similar (possibly the same?) to what is being described here. It fits the symptoms and explains why so many people died and in such a nasty way. It even explains the haemmoraghic (sp?) features of the disease.

It will be interesting to see whether the current bird flu virus is causing the same reaction - it might give a better idea of how to defeat it.

Oddly, the strength of the immune reaction could explain why the 1918 virus killed predominantly young, healthy individuals. Their immune systems were working at the peak of what they could have had and it was that efficiency that probably killed them. Children and the elderly died from the secondary infections associated with the virus, but healthy people? Probably died precisely because they were so healthy. Rather a depressing and worrying thought.

Comments

[danamaree.livejournal.com]

So...like, the fact that I catch every single cold and flue out there, and that my immune system sucks.

Might be a good thing?

Maybe?

[wadjet-theperv.livejournal.com]

Basically, you can't win no matter what you do. *shrug* The older I get, the more fatalistic I become. If it's your time, it's your time and that's all there is to it.

[selenay]

Possibly :-) Although the secondary infections because your immune system ain't as good...

I doubt there's anyone who is truly safe from it, but not having such a strong immune reaction might be good. And it should give the researchers somewhere to look for an actual treatment for the infected - perhaps combining anti-viral meds with immune depressers.

[selenay]

I think where this stuff is concerned, that's probably the best approach. People with weakened immune systems are going to get secondary chest infections, pneumonia and so on that can kill them, the strong will be killed by their immune system. It's one of those lose-lose situations.

Worrying about it and fearing death is definitely not the way to go. If it happens, it happens. When it's your time, it's possibly better to accept it and go well than to destroy yourself looking for a get-out clause.