Interesting article on the paucity of research into the diseases carried by animals, and a recent study conducted by researchers at Columbia on the diseases they found in rats in Manhattan. I have to say, though, that reading this:
| Although the scientists examined just 133 rats, they found plenty of pathogens. Some caused food-borne illnesses. Others, like Seoul hantavirus, had never before been found in New York. Others were altogether new to science. |
reminded me of a classic Simpsons episode:
| We knew that Krusty-Os contained spider eggs, but the hantavirus? Ho-ho-ho, that really came outta left field! |
Anyway, worth reading.
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More than rats, bats harbor more viruses than anything. In fact, fruit bats are likely the central reservoir for Ebola in Africa where they urn ate, dedicate around foodstuff and are actually consumed by people there. They are gourmet food in Asia as well.
The bats in a North America are radically different than those in other places where the virus discovery work has been done, but who knows how many viruses they hold.
"At the CDC, Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle) finds that the virus is a mix of genetic material from pig and bat viruses. Investigations into cures via treatment protocols or vaccines initially stall as scientists can't find a cell culture in which to grow the newly identified Meningoencephalitis Virus One (MEV-1). UCSF professor Dr. Ian Sussman (Elliott Gould) violates orders from Cheever (relayed through Hextall) to destroy his samples and identifies a usable line of bat cells. Hextall then uses this breakthrough to begin to investigate possible vaccines. The virus turns out to spread via fomites with a basic reproduction number of two; that is, each patient infects two more patients on average — increasing to four after the virus mutates, with projections of one in twelve of the population catching the virus and a 25-30% mortality rate for those infected."
A fan of Ratatouille, I see.
These things should really be dealt with by the city.