Current Pestilences

[Key Guy]

I have a greater than average interest in plagues, what they are, where they come from and who's at risk. Having suffered from a bout with a MRSA infection roughly 6 months ago, I am even more concerned that we, the general population, have such a small awareness of the risks out there... even in this country.

Most disease control medicos are predicting outbreaks in this country, not wondering if, but when and where. One big reason is that air travel allows for infected victims to share their viruses with others on other continents within hours

So, here is my short list of the biggest threats we face in our society:

* Ebola - Don't kid yourself. This virus is nasty and outbreaks occur on a regular basis in Africa. Speed in diagnosis and quarantine is essential

* MRSA - Growing problem! People are dying in the US from this virus. People are losing limbs, too. We don't hear enough about this menace

* AIDS/HIV - Still around, still a threat. Not as scary as before, but we are seeing deaths that have sort of become routine.

* Lymes disease - We don't have a handle on this and people get sick and suffer, not to mention pets.

* West Nile Fever - Still a growing threat and summer is coming.

There are more. What are you aware of?

[Neil D]

Then there's the bird flu virus that is lurking out there...

Recently reported that the AIDs virus in Washington DC is up to 3% of the population, on par with African nations...

[GreatLakesGramma]

MRSA is a bacteria, not a virus.

There's also Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which we have had here in Michigan for years. It's much worse than West Nile, yet people around here give it little thought.

[Key Guy]

MRSA is a bacteria, not a virus.

You are right. I stand corrected.

[Bravus]

There has been a major plague in most centuries, and there's no reason to think this century will be an exception. The Spanish Flu epidemic around the time of the First World War killed over 20 million people. HIV/AIDS is an on-going slow motion plague that is killing millions in Africa and is moving into Asia and the Pacific islands.

There is no cure for Ebola. It goes into a village, kills 90% of the inhabitants in a few days and then dies out because it has been quarantined. The notion of an Ebola outbreak in a major city does not even bear thinking about.

Bird flu, yep - pretty much not if but when it evolves a version that can be transmitted human-to-human.

Of course, the scariest ones are the ones we don't even know anything about yet, that will take us by surprise.

[Amelia]

Well then we have the come back bugs. Probably due to new immigrants who didn't have vacinations in their country. Like TB, Polio, Whooping cough etc.

When thinking about the coming plagues of the end times, do you think about those mentioned in the bible or something we feel is mostly benign in nature? How many did Typhoid Mary take out? Actually she only infected 53 people, of whom 3 died. After refusing to stop working as a cook she was forcibly removed and quarantined for the rest of her life. How many got sick/died of the latest salmonella outbreak? Nine fatalities and at least 691 people sickened, that we know of by reports. And that is with the government stepping in, recalling food and shutting down the factory.

So what would happen without the safeguards that are in place right now? We know that even those don't work all that well considering the melamine poisoning by imported foods.

[Key Guy]

From WKZO News

Monday, March 23, 2009

CDC Study: MRSA Cases in Hospitals Hit Nearly 100,000 per Year

UNDATED -- A new study from the CDC shows cases of MRSA transmissions are sharply on the rise. Specialist Curt Lindberg says the number of MRSA cases in hospitals across the country has hit nearly 100-thousand every year. Fortunately, he says that can be drastically reduced with simple sanitary measures like more hand washing and wearing gloves when working with infected patients.

"These are strategies that have been known for years," says Lindberg. "The challenge has been getting the hundreds and hundreds of health care workers to practice those techniques all the time."

He says despite the nearly 20-thousand deaths every year from the staff infections, educational programs within health care facilities haven't done enough to make real changes in behavior.

------------------------------

MRSA is simply a nasty mess. I see story after story of kids that are dying from this.

[Amelia]

Les, I hope you are fully recovered from your battle with MRSA. You didn't lose any bits did you?

[Key Guy]

No, I'm still intact, thankfully.

I developed what I thought was a spider bite on my finger. 24 hours later, my hand was swollen enough to prevent me from making a fist! A friend suggested that it as from a Brown Recluse and that I should see the hospital's ER ASAP.

The ER doc lanced the site, drained what he could, packed the wound with special gauze and gave me antibiotics via IV drip as an outpatient for 3 days in a row followed by oral antibiotics for 2 weeks after that.

After more than $3000 for the diagnosis and treatment, all is well... but there is no way I'm going through that again.

My research led me to a natural antibiotic first aid cream that kills MRSA, so I hit every wound (even scratches) with it and I have stopped any risk, to date. The cream has Manuka honey.

The doc told me that I risked losing my hand had I waited much longer for treatment. I was amazed at the speed of the swelling around the tiny wound.

(thanks for asking)

[Neil D]

manuka honey-

Isn't that honey from Australia? Seems to me that is the only place where I have seen manuka honey [Well ok, I saw it in New Zealand also].

It's doenst suprize me that manuka honey is a natural antibiotic...Actually, ANY honey is a natural antibiotic...actually, it's a preservative...I know of ostomy nurses who use honey to help heal wounds after they have cleaned them out. And it has been known as a natural embalming ingrediant....Nice ways to prevent you [or any body for that matter]from decaying...

[Amelia]

Quote:

My research led me to a natural antibiotic first aid cream that kills MRSA, so I hit every wound (even scratches) with it and I have stopped any risk, to date. The cream has Manuka honey.

What is it?

[Key Guy]

http://www.specialtiesofparadise.com/products/Honeymark_First_Aid_Antiseptic_Lotion-323-3.html

Neil, You're right... it's from New Zealand. Seems to be the best honey for fighting tiny bacteria bugs, although all honey has healing properties.