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chumbawumba
Junior Member
United Kingdom
304 Posts |
 Posted - 02 May 2004 : 06:46:59
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Given that this forum usually covers programming and tech-stuff this is a bit off topic....
Recently, you may have read about malaria awareness week in the newspaper. This got me thinking - if you are bitten by a mosquito that is carrying the parasite, is it absolutely certain that the person who was bitten will get malaria? Or is there still a % chance that you won't.
Similarly, if you you share a needle (for example) with a HIV infected person, is it 100% guaranteed that you will get hiv?
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Can't stop, lose job, mind gone, silicon. |
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Roland
Advanced Member
Netherlands
9335 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 08:46:58
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Good question.
Different disease than the ones you asked about, but I know is that there's no guarantee that you'll end up having TB after having been caughed in the face by someone with communicable TB. The trick here is that the TB bacteria can stay dormant your entire life, or they can "get busy" after a few days, or a few years.
So you might have the bacteria inside you but never know about it because they're "sleeping". |
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chumbawumba
Junior Member
United Kingdom
304 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2004 : 10:36:25
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Roland, I believe it's the same with meningitis as you described. It can lie dormant in the back of your throat and the carrier never has any symptoms.
I did a bit of googling:
Hepatitis:
It is typically spread through blood-to-blood contact, sharing syringes, or unprotected sex. Experts believe 1 in 3 people are infected with hepatitis B often without being aware of it.
TB:
Researchers have calculated that 8-10 million people catch the disease every year, with three million dying from it. It causes more deaths world-wide than Aids and malaria combined. It is the worlds largest killer of women.
Interesting, but scary ...
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zonelinks
Starting Member
India
11 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2004 : 04:57:42
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Hey...Be aware of Mosquitoes all the time...anytime, anywhere they can bite and u will be affected by malaria....
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http://www.zonelinks.com
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The Power Link Dimension |
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Panhandler
Average Member
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2004 : 09:22:41
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quote:
Originally posted by chumbawumba
Hepatitis:
It is typically spread through blood-to-blood contact, sharing syringes, or unprotected sex. Experts believe 1 in 3 people are infected with hepatitis B often without being aware of it.
Don't believe the above, it is only partially correct.
It is true about Hepatitis B
Hepatitis A is extremely infectious and can be spread by food and drink.
I know this because a medical professional gave me a lengthy one-on-one lecture prior to giving me a Hepatitis A vaccine and Typhoid vaccine last week.
(This in preparation for a Peruvian trip.)
Regarding mosquito bites:
(This is unsubstantiated): To my knowledge, various factors influence whether you catch anything. If you have high exposure, such as multiple mosquito bites on a daily basis for an extended period of time, then yes, start to worry.
Just one bite? Don't worry. . .unless you have an immune compromised system.
If you are really concerned, call around to a few medical facilities, as they often have medical professionals that can answer your questions over the phone for free.
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RichardKinser
Snitz Forums Admin
USA
16655 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2004 : 16:22:51
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I get bitten by mosquitoes every time I mow my yard, and I don't have malaria  |
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Roland
Advanced Member
Netherlands
9335 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2004 : 18:13:40
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AFAIK it's a special kind of mosquito that carries malaria, and I believe only the females are the ones to watch out for (amazing how mosquitos are like humans  ). But Rich is right, it also depends on factors such as your immune system at the time. Bacteria are just like thieves: they strike when you're vulnerable. So if you have a cold, you're more likely to get hit with a second illness, though as with computers, nothing's certain :D |
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seven
Senior Member
USA
1037 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2004 : 18:42:29
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We gotta watch out for the ticks around here... if you walk in tall grass or near wooded areas there bound to be 1 on you. I don't need lime disease.  |
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Cliff
Average Member
United States
501 Posts |
Posted - 09 May 2004 : 21:40:08
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Interesting topic.
Believe it or not, your race actually helps determine your susceptibility to malaria. African blacks have a lower percentage of carrying the Fy antigen (Duffy blood group antigen) than other races. It is believed that the Fy antigen is a required receptor on the red cell (the cell infected by the malaria parasite), and without this antigen, the likelihood of contacting malaria is lowered.
Hep A might infect 1 of 3 people (doubt it's that high though), but Hep B, C (and D,E,F,G) infect many less. This does not mean not to worry. Many people fear HIV as a sexually transmitted disease (as they should) but the bigger fear and bigger killer is Hep C. Like HIV there is no treatment, OK I know about interferon, but that only lessens the viral load, nothing can rid the body of any virus. There is an ineffective vaccine for Hep A, a pretty good one for Hep B, but unfortunately none for Hep C.
Malaria is fairly treatable and curable, viral infections aren't at all. |
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chumbawumba
Junior Member
United Kingdom
304 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2004 : 07:08:39
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Good information there Cliff. Some comments - I thought there was absolutely no cure for malaria, and no universal vaccine?? The statistic I found about 1 in 3 people being infected, was for hep B. This does seem alarmingly high. I believe I read somewhere that Pamela Anderson has Hepatitis C.
What initially got me thinking about all this was - if I go abroad and contract malaria, then later back in the UK, what are the chances of a mozzy biting me and then biting my gf, and her contracting malaria. There are probably too many factors to consider to be able to answer that, such as those you have mentioned. Her personal resilience, ethnic origin, number of times bitten, where bitten, ... ?
In all cases, and for all diseases, it seems prevention is better than cure.
(stay out of those brothels, gents  ) |
Can't stop, lose job, mind gone, silicon. |
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miperez
Junior Member
Spain
243 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2004 : 08:16:36
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Hi all!!
AFAIK, the likeliness to really get infected, and develop the symptoms, depends, as some have said, on:
1 - How many bacteria or viruses really got into your body. Using the same theeth-brush that a person infected with flu has used is worse than just being in the same room.
2 - The infectious capabilities of the virus or bacteria. Ebola or flu viruses are much more contagious than leprosy.
3 - How "strong" your inmune system is, if it's weak you are more likely to get infections than a healthy person.
That is, I think that it's never certain that being bitten by a mosquito (I think it's just the Anopheles type, isn't it?) will cause malaria on you, or being in contact with HIV infected blood or fluids will make you be infected by HIV.
Regarding your gf, I think that the case is that the anopheles itself carries the malaria, and it transmits it. I guess that if another type of mosquito bites you, it doesn't get enough number of bacteria to be able to transmit it to another person. |
Best Regards
Mikel Perez
"Hell is the place where everything test perfectly, and nothing works"
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Cliff
Average Member
United States
501 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2004 : 08:37:30
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Chloroquine is a common drug used to treat may strains of malaria. As you also know there are several drugs used for prophylaxis. Vaccines apply to viruses, not bacteria or in the case of malaria, parasites.
As for Hep B infecting 1/3 of the world population, I have no data to dispute that, but I suspect it is very location dependent. I know that of the 100 people I work with, none are known to be hep B pos, does that make the rate 0%, of course not, but in south central Africa it is probably closer to 90%, also this does not mean that nearly every person has or will have hep B. Children are now vaccinated soon after birth, this may help.
The Anopheles is reported as the mosquito that carries the malaria parasites.
I guess I would recommend not having an intimate relationship with Ms. Anderson.
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