[ladysusan]

Have they been able to isolate RSV? Last I read, they "didn't know if it was a virus or a bacteria." Kind of hard to believe, and I mean the "WTF??!!!" variety of hard -to- believe. The reporting on this seems something less than informed.
OTOH.... RSV is nasty, but harder on infants/elderly than adults. Why so many caregivers getting sick?


LS

[bonesmccoy]

Ma'am,
The reason the health care workers are getting ill is concerning. It suggests that we have not been exposed to the germ previously. It may be an "emerging pathogen" like a new strain of influenza. Occasionally, a new influenza strain emerges from animal vectors (like birds) and infects humans. HIV is thought to have emerged from a Chimpanzee virus.

Cross-species transfer of virus means that a reservoir of potential infectious agents exists in animals. If that virus happens to accidently mutate to a form that can attack humans, you will see many people get ill (potential perish) in the first pandemic. When the virus circulates around the world (like the influenza pandemic of 1918), it creates immunity in survivors. Thus, the subsequent outbreaks are less likely to be as pathologic because many were previously exposed. Hence, these individuals can mount a stronger immune response (even if the virus slightly mutated during the interval between outbreaks).

RSV was just one thought. There are many viruses that can do this to a person. I'm just surprised that the CDC doesn't have more detailed information from the cases.

This same set of events occurred in October 2001 during the anthrax attacks. The CDC did not relay much clinical data about particular cases. Physicians across the nation need to be able to review all the case information on each patient.

Otherwise, we have no method to identify other patients with similar symptoms.