Viruses 

As I reflected in my article on Ebola virus, on my blog at www.leadmyworld.blogspot.com , I thought that a scientific and a layman’s definition of viruses needed more explanation. We often hear that a person’s computer was affected by a virus or that someone lost data due to a virus. Computer viruses attack computers by inserting themselves into files that were downloaded as attachments (host). They have the ability to replicate themselves as they are malware programs. These virus program writers prey on the vulnerability of the security of your computer (immune system in the world of biology) It can virtually kill your computer for good if antivirus software has not been installed to detect and destroy the malware before it does its job.

Biological viruses operate in the same way. Computer science has borrowed the term ‘Virus’ from the world of microbiology. Dr. Janet S. Butel[1] defined viruses as, “the smallest infectious agents (ranging from about 20 nm to about 300 nm in diameter) and contain only one kind of nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) as their genome. The nucleic acid is encased in a protein shell, which may be surrounded by a lipid-containing membrane. The entire infectious unit is termed a Virion. Viruses are inert in the extracellular environment; they replicate only in living cells, being parasites at the genetic level.”
Once viruses find a host, they are pretty independent and active in their tasks of destruction. They have command centers, genome organization, launch a self-replicating strategy, interact with the surface receptors of their targets and can neutralize antibodies, attack and fight a type of guerrilla warfare by playing hide and seek before eventually killing their host.

The world is becoming a global village, so viral infections are also becoming global. As we travel from continent to continent within hours, so do viral diseases. Human are not the only carriers of viral diseases. Animals and their meats that we eat can also harbor viruses. Some of the factors we ignore too easily are:

1.      Water pollution caused by changes to ecosystems and deforestation.

2.      Human to human transmissions caused by careless social and sexual behaviors.

3.      Bad hygiene caused by poverty, wars and lack of education.

4.      Disease migration due to travelling, trade and rapid transportation systems.

5.      Poor food processing, packaging, storing and shipping methods.

6.      Disease transmission by blood transfusion, contaminated medical devices and medical wastes.

7.      Virus propagation by organs and tissue transplantation.

8.       Lack of diligence due to budget cutbacks or the commercialism of healthcare.

Some of the emerging viral infections are Ebola, Nipah, Dengue fever, West Nile Virus, Rift Valley fever, Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis, SARS and MERS.

Safety precaution:

Some of the reasons why the Ebola virus has become such a monster is because we have not taken lab safety precautions seriously. Governments, so far, have taken this particular virus and its deadly disposition too lightly. Had we taken the Ebola virus as seriously as we did with HIV or SARS, we would have been in control of the situation.

Here are a few tips and precautions for lab safety. The major places of transmission of viruses are labs, hospitals, healthcare facilities, schools and universities.

·         Laboratory acquired infections can occur from human pathogens, so extra precautions have to be taken into account in and around the lab environment.

·         Ingestion by mouth is a major cause. Eating in the lab should be prohibited.

·         The most common transmissions are due to the pricking of skin by needles and the careless handling of contaminated, bio-hazardous materials.

·         Splashing into eyes or nostrils and even chapped lips or micro-lesions can also cause transmission.

The best safety precautions use common sense. For example:

1.      Proper washing/scrubbing of hands

2.      Quality training on handling bio-hazardous materials like used syringes, bandages, gloves, waste and lab equipment

3.      No eating, drinking, smoking, chewing or using make up, aerosol hair sprays or inhalers in the lab

4.      Keep safety gear only in the lab in designated sanitized places and nowhere else

5.      Sterilize everything; create and follow checklists for sterilization and carefully follow all other bio-safety procedures

Spread goodness, it’s worth it.

Najam@Leadmyworld.com

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[1] Reference: Dr. Janet S. Butel in Medical Microbiology, 25^th Edition