Health News

Swine Flu: Don't Blame the Pig

By Jeffrey Kluger Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2009

Pity the poor pig. The otherwise estimable mammals has never had a very good representative - a little mud on the snout, the Oink. Add now the flu.

The outbreak of swine flu that has caused widespread fear - to the point that Egypt has ordered the slaughter of 300,000 pigs in the country, although no cases have been reported there - it's easy to pin the eponymous animals which it emerged, but the fact is, the current epidemic is little more than an accident of evolution. If pigs are to blame, so are birds and humans.

The problem begins with the sneaky nature of the virus itself from the flu. It may be a simple matter, consisting of no more than 10 proteins assembled into a genome that is simple, including microbiological standards, but bare bones genome is extremely flexible, with equipment, to complement the gene segments that allow mutation and easy exchange of information with other viruses. That is why we need a new flu vaccine every year: when a flu season has ended and the next begins, the virus has changed so much, you can simply shrug off last year's shot. Compare that with, for example, the polio vaccine was developed in 1955 and has not changed that much since then.

What keeps a relatively low influenza control is simply not that many species that are susceptible to it - with humans, pigs and some types of birds to the list. "There are surface markers of cells of some species that bind to sites on the influenza virus," says Dr. Peter Daszak, an emerging disease ecologist and president of the Wildlife Trust. "The flu virus evolved along with the pigs, and did the same with some other mammals and birds."

The adaptability of the virus, however, was a certainty that a strain that was developed in a susceptible species that were easily make the changes required to survive in one of the few eligible hosts. As quickly and efficiently transform the virus may involve a single step by a single individual to make the scroll work. "Different viruses from different sources, enter a cell, and viruses that come out the other end is totally different," says Dr. Richard Webby, an infectious-disease specialist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and director of the hospital of the World Health Organization collaborating center. "The process is called redistribution."

Birds are the natural reservoirs of strains of common flu strikes in winter - and the strains to reassort particularly hard hit with humans. But although humans are not susceptible to each strain of avian flu, pigs are definitely. When avian influenza viruses replicate in pigs, listing more selective viral machinery that gives the power of strains of flu to spread to other mammals, like us. That is what makes the hogs such powerful mixing bowls flu. Roundabout pig human bird route may be less common the bird-human jump straight but may be more problematic. Strains of avian flu, like the much-feared H5N1 virus can infect individual human beings, but can not make the person a person jump. Avian flu that is passed through the mammal of the pig, however, can be passed easily among humans.

All this makes the influenza virus a tenacious enemy from the beginning, but once the man invented agriculture and learned to farm animals, we made a bad situation much worse. All at once, chickens, ducks and pigs - never had much to do with each other - began life on the cheek to jowl, and often a large number unsanitary. Family farmers and people working in the live markets then began mixing with the critters. That is a pathogen-speed blender, and viruses have had the most of it. "It's really an ecological issue," says Daszak.

Therefore, if we can not blame the pigs enough (in fact, the CDC has officially ended with a virus called "swine flu", opting instead for the easier H1N1 swine influenza 2009), we can blame to Mexico? That charge does not stick well. Decades ago, many countries joined together to develop the Global Influenza Surveillance (GISN), which allows teams to detect new epidemiological influenza virus as soon as they arise and get shots in time. But the only tracks GISN human influenza, ie, animal flu can slip undetected. What's more, pigs carrying flu tend to die en masse the way flocks of birds do, eliminating the immediate tip-off that a pathogen is critical in general. None of this is the fault of any of Mexico. In fact, tourists from humans and domestic animals in Mexico to cross all the time, there is reason to believe that the parent virus of the epidemic after hitch a ride in one.

"I believe that this need not be caused by the virus of Mexico," says Daszak. "Somehow we got to Mexico and then mixed with human beings."

If we have to pin the rap on some time, forget any kind or of a country and blame simple biology. But regardless of where it came from the virus, the most important is, Where does it go? That is what is referred to physicians in their efforts to curb the epidemic and make sure people remain healthy. 

Caring for acne skin
 

Acne is defined as suffering from a condition that involves the skin glands and hair oil (oiliness). This condition is characterized by pimples, black spots and white, redness and rashes.

Acne of the face can ruin your look in much of the body and acne can really ruin your day making it very uncomfortable, so try to prevent it.

Considering acne as a minor problem, some people tend to totally discard the topic of skin care. However, the same care with acne should start well before it actually appears. Therefore you must be aware of preventive measures, ie the daily routine of skin care as a discipline complete. To prevent acne begins with the most basic thing - cleanliness. The showers in the morning are the most basic way to keep the skin clean. However, skin care acne does not just revolve around the showers. The skin is also careful to use clean clothes and sleeping on clean pillows. Moreover, too tight clothing can cause sweat to accumulate quickly; recommended clothes so soft and comfortable as cotton, especially if you already have acne.

In the same vein, it also advised the regular cleaning of makeup brushes and any equipment you use in your body. Besides, you should also use a esponjita soft, water-soluble, oil-free and soap-free to keep your face, neck and arms clean. Cleanliness is the most important part of any skin care routine to combat acne. Cleaners are the most effective and easy to remove dirt, grease, pollutants and excess oil from your skin, thus reducing the probability of occurrence of acne.

So always remember to clean, tone and moisturize your face every day, both morning and before bedtime, that prevent the occurrence of acne and if you do not have it reduced if you are already suffering from it because a good cleaning is essential to keep the skin clean. If you already have acne, do not try to touch or squeeze it you can achieve permanent scars. Note that cleaning the affected area should be conducted using a medication legal pad and a clean, soft cotton. You can find a legal and lotions available at your nearest pharmacy.

However, if these measures against skin care and acne do not give you the desired results, contact a dermatologist for advice and treatment to care for your skin..