Today we finally had the 'pop quiz' in Parasitology that we've been expecting for upwards of a week now. Our Parasit prof really has it out for us. It was worth only 25 points (out of something like 500, so about 5% of our grade) and had only 10 questions, however difficultly-wise it was like studying for a full exam. I (and many of my classmates) could seriously have a pulled a big fat ZERO.
On to lighter news....there appears to be a genuine Dengue Fever outbreak here at Ross and I'm sort of excited about it. I realize that seems crass, as Dengue does have hemorrhagic fatal strains, but it sort of feels like that summer in 2004 when I was glued to http://www.noaa.gov/ and couldn't stand the thought of missing one moment of the exciting Hurricane action. Anywho, there are two suspected cases in our semester, and two others from upper semesters. It's the rainy "season" right now, and we Floridians know that RAIN = MOSQUITOES (I realize there is more to that equation, such as pools of water for making babies, but essentially it covers the basics). Special torture. Most students here walk around with Chicken Pox-looking skin. Thus, it's only a matter of time before more cases pop up....
Thus comes the Lesson of the Week (I realize it's been awhile...please be kind.). Since I'm tired, overworked, and a more than a bit lazy right now, I am merely providing you with an excerpt from my new favorite book that I have vowed to finished (eventually) despite it's 622 pages (whoa, just realized it was that many!). I found this excerpt doubly fascinating due to the recent Dengue outbreak AND our learning about macrophages in Immunology recently. Plus, infectious agents that evolve to outwit our already pretty darn evolved immune system are just plain neat.
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"Usually when people develop strong antibody immune responses against a virus they are protected against future exposure to the microbe. But dengue-2 [one of four strains of the dengue virus] had evolved an extraordinary ability to exploit human antibodies to its advantage. When the human antibodies attached to the outer envelope of the dengue-2 virus, the microbe played a game of stealth, allowing the antibodies to send their signals to the large immune system macrophage cells. In a process that was usually lethal to the microbes, the macrophages would then engulf the viruses, but instead of dying, the dengue would take control of the immune system's primary killer cells.
Thus, dengue-2 evaded the immune system defenses and gained entry to every organ in the body, carried by macrophages that acted as Trojan horses for the virus. As the immune system struggled to overcome its sneaky invaders, various biochemical reactions were triggered that produced soaring fevers - as high as 107 degrees F - convulsions, classic allergy-like shock, and death."
Excerpt from The Coming Plague - Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance, by Laurie Garrett (p. 255-256 if anyone decides to read along at home)
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As a side note, I find it increasingly amusing as we progress in our clinical knowledge of veterinary medicine to find "death" listed as a Clinical Sign for a disease/infectious agent. I think they should list it separately under the heading of 'The Ultimate Clinical Sign'. Seriously. Give death it's due.
I seem very good at ending on a high note lately, so with this I say Have a Fabulous Week!
Taken from my fave website: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
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