So what does a flu blog have to do with ‘genetics’ and ‘infectious diseases’?
Well, if you’ve been following this blog for the month of April, you’ll notice that I began expanding the topics to include other infectious and viral diseases that would be in recent news.
With the Gene Genie challenge of blogging on genes and gene-related diseases, now wouldn’t it be cool to talk about the genes that predispose certain individuals and groups to these viral diseases – HIV, malaria, leprosy, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), sinusitis, herpes and others.

Yup. There may be genes responsible for getting certain persons susceptible …read more

As a mom, it is difficult enough to deal with one sick child, but to have a younger child catch the same virus is just horrible. That’s what JJ, a mom in Japan has to deal with this week, as she writes in her blog Hiroshima Oyako -

Although we thought it was all over yesterday when it went down, come midnight (doesn’t it always happen in the middle of the night) her fever came back with a vengence. This morning I took her back to the doctor and he was able to get a positive reaction on his adenovirus …read more

If there’s one very good reason to fear bats, it’s this – they may carrry the ebola virus.
Three fruit bats species captured in Central Africa may have been responsible for the ebola outbreaks between 2001 and 2003 in the continent.
Researchers writing in Nature found fruit bats of three species had either genetic sequences from the virus or evidence of an immune response to it. Traces of the virus were found in the animals’ liver and spleen – two organs specifically targeted by Ebola. The bats did not show any symptoms of Ebola virus infection, which indicate that these animals may …read more

RSV, for respiratory syncytial virus, is one of the most important pathogens causing pulmonary infections in infants. The virus can cause anything from a mild cold-like infection, to more severe pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchiolitis. It is the most frequent cause of hospitalization of infants in the United States and some two million babies die every year because of severe infections in the lungs caused by RSV, but there is no known effective vaccine or anti-viral therapy specific to this pathogen.
For decades, scientists thought that over-reactive immune system in some infants is associated with severe respiratory infections. That cytotoxic killer T …read more

A previous post prompted a scurry of web searches in my quest to prevent my cold-susceptible daugther from developing asthma later on in life.
Thank goodness there are plenty of advice. The Mayo Clinic posts this action plan here.

1. Call your doctor immediately if you think you have the flu. Antiviral medications must be taken within 24-48 hours after the start of a flu.
2. Take good care of yourself. Rest. Drink plenty of fluids.
3. Pay close attention to your asthma symptoms. If you notice warning signs of an asthma attack — such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath …read more

I tend to put my faith on research evidence. But there are days when I pray that science gets it wrong. Days like today, when I read that children who have frequent colds as infants develop a higher risk for asthma by age six.
Because my child falls into this group. I stopped counting how many times in the past two years that she’s gotten the cold virus. Every few months, she gets treated with antibiotics to control recurring ear infections due to fluid buildup. She’s a candidate for an ear tube, although I swear she can hear normally.
Now this. A …read more