Why can't we eliminate the Flu, like we did w/ small pox?

[Jakeisbest]

Ok from my understanding we have completely eliminated the small small pox virus. Why is this not possible to do with seasonal flu viruses?

Does any one know? Or do you have a link with some info? My quick google searches were not giving me any good hits.

 

[krylon]

it changes

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah, my understanding is that it mutates too often. That's one of the issues with HIV as well IIRC, and probably a lot of other types of viruses.

 

[Regs]

it changes

Or it's many viruses of the same class that manifest the same symptoms.

 

[Q]

It's like Xmen

 

[zerocool84]

It's like Xmen

It's crappy overrated movie?

 

[EGGO]

It's crappy overrated movie?

Think before the 2000's.

 

[tcsenter]

Because a virus is not a virus is not a virus. Some viruses are slow to evolve, others are not.

Most of the viruses that have plagued humanity for centuries did so because they didn't change much. The virus would spread through a population, and anyone that was still alive would have protection against it, and even pass-on some of that protection to the next generation. A couple-few generations later, immunity was low and gave the virus an opportunity to spread through the population again. Rinse and repeat.

Many viruses that change or mutate rapidly are much more likely to defang their own virulence to a particular species. IOW, if a virus is mutating all the time, one of the genes that might get changed is the very gene that made it virulent to a particular species.

e.g. Ebola and Marburg appear to change so rapidly that it develops virulence to humans, kills a bunch of people, mutates again and loses its virulence to humans, thus 'disappears' into the wild again. Rinse and repeat.

 

[bob4432]

[puts tinfoil hat on]

makes too many people too much $$$$

 

[Modelworks]

Well we can eliminate it and almost every other pathogen, but nuking the planet from orbit just doesn't seem all that good an alternative.

 

[SandEagle]

[puts tinfoil hat on]

makes too many people too much $$$$

there is profit in treatments, not cures.

 

[tcsenter]

there is profit in treatments, not cures.

Right, because people would pay anything for a life-long treatment with side-effects but they ain't going to pay nothing for a cure! Absurd.

Companies could charge whatever they wanted for the cure and people would be even more forgiving of the cost. Besides, a cure only applies to persons who get the disease. It doesn't prevent people from getting it.

e.g. if 1,000,000 people annually get the disease now, 1,000,000 people will continue to get the disease annually if there were a cure for it.

Ergo, the continuum of demand for it wouldn't change.

 

[bob4432]

Right, because people would pay anything for a life-long treatment with side-effects but they ain't going to pay nothing for a cure! Absurd.

Companies could charge whatever they wanted for the cure and people would be even more forgiving of the cost. Besides, a cure only applies to persons who get the disease. It doesn't prevent people from getting it.

e.g. if 1,000,000 people annually get the disease now, 1,000,000 people will continue to get the disease annually if there were a cure for it.

Ergo, the continuum of demand for it wouldn't change.

what was the last disease/virus cured? imho the same setup as renting a hd dvr from your cable company and not being able to buy one. follow the $$$$ man

 

[bobdole369]

what was the last disease/virus cured? imho the same setup as renting a hd dvr from your cable company and not being able to buy one. follow the $$$$ man

Not the best analogy - given that the best DVR is Tivo's version, that you can buy, and works with cable or over the air TV, and you can easily make a less than comparable dvr yourself with free software.

In any event the last virus that was cured seems to be HPV. At least a vaccine is made for cancerous versions.

 

[Dualist]

The common flu is different than small pox, anyone can develop the common flu and spread it. It's not really easy to contain and erraticate globally and nationally.

 

[bob4432]

Not the best analogy - given that the best DVR is Tivo's version, that you can buy, and works with cable or over the air TV, and you can easily make a less than comparable dvr yourself with free software.

In any event the last virus that was cured seems to be HPV. At least a vaccine is made for cancerous versions.

a quick look at tivo's website states there is a $13/mo fee....why can i not build a hd-dvr that i don't have to pay anything for except the cable tier i want?

 

[ballmode]

damn viruses

 

[marvdmartian]

Influenza virus changes every year. The flu shot is developed by doctors that go to Asia, try to figure out the strains of influenza they think will be the most virulent, then devise a shot that will cover those strains. Yes, there's more than one strain of flu, every year. Sometimes they're right on target, other years they're far enough off the mark that people that have gotten the shot still end up catching the flu strain that's going around.

Smallpox still exists in the world, but luckily, only in the laboratory. Military members still get inoculated for it, because it can be used as a bio-weapon. Supposedly, the USA has enough stockpiled doses of the shot that they could keep the civilian population from being devastated by it, but personally, I'm glad that I'm old enough to have been inoculated as a kid, and again when I joined the navy (years ago).

The only reason we don't see smallpox breaking out anymore is because finally enough people were inoculated for it, that it could no longer survive in the wild. However, if it were ever released as a weapon, it could spread through the population that hasn't been inoculated against it fairly rapidly, unless they got the shots available in a timely manner.

 

[bobdole369]

why can i not build a hd-dvr that i don't have to pay anything for except the cable tier i want?

You can.

Tivo charges for added value. They provide programming guide info and wicked cool software, interface to other stuff like youtube/blockbuster/netflix/photos/music/etc.

Hauppauges HD-PVR interfaces USB to component inputs. You only need to supply programming info and a directshow interface. Comcast won't do it for you - their system is closed. Most TV tuner type cards are composite or svideo only. Not to mention its possible to use cablecards these days outside of a closed system. So start designing and programming. Oh some of the free PVR packages support the hd-pvr so maybe its not THAT much work.

That's why Tivo is the best - its the simplest and to quote Apple - it just works. (HD version only with cable and FIOS).

But far off topic we've come - back to virii - Just like the cold - flu morphs a lot. Smallpox didn't. Polio didn't. We beat those.

 

[IGBT]

the eco-KOOKS wana bring small pox and other back. they say the herd needs to be culled.

 

[Brainonska511]

Because a virus is not a virus is not a virus. Some viruses are slow to evolve, others are not.

Most of the viruses that have plagued humanity for centuries did so because they didn't change much. The virus would spread through a population, and anyone that was still alive would have protection against it, and even pass-on some of that protection to the next generation. A couple-few generations later, immunity was low and gave the virus an opportunity to spread through the population again. Rinse and repeat.

Many viruses that change or mutate rapidly are much more likely to defang their own virulence to a particular species. IOW, if a virus is mutating all the time, one of the genes that might get changed is the very gene that made it virulent to a particular species.

e.g. Ebola and Marburg appear to change so rapidly that it develops virulence to humans, kills a bunch of people, mutates again and loses its virulence to humans, thus 'disappears' into the wild again. Rinse and repeat.

It's not necessarily decreased immunity - it's mutation of the disease. When the immunity blocks one form, there is an evolutionary push that favors a form that can overcome that immunity.

Influenza - there are many variants and it mutates fairly quickly, so it lingers.

 

[bob4432]

You can.

Tivo charges for added value. They provide programming guide info and wicked cool software, interface to other stuff like youtube/blockbuster/netflix/photos/music/etc.

Hauppauges HD-PVR interfaces USB to component inputs. You only need to supply programming info and a directshow interface. Comcast won't do it for you - their system is closed. Most TV tuner type cards are composite or svideo only. Not to mention its possible to use cablecards these days outside of a closed system. So start designing and programming. Oh some of the free PVR packages support the hd-pvr so maybe its not THAT much work.

That's why Tivo is the best - its the simplest and to quote Apple - it just works. (HD version only with cable and FIOS).

But far off topic we've come - back to virii - Just like the cold - flu morphs a lot. Smallpox didn't. Polio didn't. We beat those.

maybe for ota hd, but i can't replace the hd-dvr i get from cable company. as far as cable card, i was told i could only get one of those for a tv, then i have to have the cox "tech" out to insert it into the tv, and not any computer device.

 

[sao123]

Influenza virus changes every year. The flu shot is developed by doctors that go to Asia, try to figure out the strains of influenza they think will be the most virulent, then devise a shot that will cover those strains. Yes, there's more than one strain of flu, every year. Sometimes they're right on target, other years they're far enough off the mark that people that have gotten the shot still end up catching the flu strain that's going around.

Smallpox still exists in the world, but luckily, only in the laboratory. Military members still get inoculated for it, because it can be used as a bio-weapon. Supposedly, the USA has enough stockpiled doses of the shot that they could keep the civilian population from being devastated by it, but personally, I'm glad that I'm old enough to have been inoculated as a kid, and again when I joined the navy (years ago).

The only reason we don't see smallpox breaking out anymore is because finally enough people were inoculated for it, that it could no longer survive in the wild. However, if it were ever released as a weapon, it could spread through the population that hasn't been inoculated against it fairly rapidly, unless they got the shots available in a timely manner.

the reason why smallpox was eradicated is there are no remaining resevoirs of the disease. It cannot be trasmitted by insect, and it cannot infect any known animal species.
unlike influenza which is well documents can transmit from avian species to swine to humans, therefore unless we eliminate nearly all birds and pigs, it will be impossible to eliminate the disease.

 

[bob4432]

the reason why smallpox was eradicated is there are no remaining resevoirs of the disease. It cannot be trasmitted by insect, and it cannot infect any known animal species.
unlike influenza which is well documents can transmit from avian species to swine to humans, therefore unless we eliminate nearly all birds and pigs, it will be impossible to eliminate the disease.

i thought there were "strategic" reserves?

 

[sao123]

i thought there were "strategic" reserves?

very strategic... as in no swine = no BACON!!!