[DT] Mission 3: Choices

The fumes have the airborne contaminations, the water table has the bacterial agents, and remember some bacterial agents can become airborne, in some instances .  When infected people :   bstract
Coughing, sneezing, talking, bed-making, turning pages of books, etc. all generate microbial aerosols which are carried and dispersed by air movements. Inhalation of these particles may cause allergic responses but whether or not infectious disease ensues depends in part on the viability and infectivity of the inhaled microbes and their landing sites. Desiccation is experienced by all airborne microbes; gram-negative bacteria and lipid-containing viruses demonstrate phase changes in their outer phospholipid bilayer membranes owing to concomitant changes in water content and/or temperature. These changes most likely lead to cross-linking reactions of associated protein moieties principally at mid to high relative humidity (RH). For lipid-free viruses these reactions of their surface protein moieties occur most rapidly at low RH. Radiation, oxygen, ozone and its reaction products and various pollutants also decrease viability and infectivity through chemical, physical and biological modification to phospholipid, protein and nucleic acid moieties. The extent of damage and the degree of repair together with the efficacy of host defence mechanisms largely controls whether the causative microbes take hold and spread disease via the airborne route. At least indoors, where desiccation is the predominant stress, the general reversibility of membrane-phase changes by vapour-phase rehydration when coupled with efficacious microbial enzymatic repair mechanisms under genetic control, virtually ensures the spread of disease by the aerobiological pathway.  *Medline article*


Airborne Parasites are possible: Beware of dust in the wind for it can cause not only coughing but even parasitic infection.


Health experts warned the public against airborne transmission of parasitic infections which are commonly acquired through soil transmission or poor sanitation.


Dr. Vicente Belizario, a parasitology expert from the University of the Philippines (UP), said ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infections can now be potentially transmitted through inhalation.


"A child or even an adult can acquire parasitic infection by inhalation of dust infected with eggs of worms," Belizario told participants of a public health forum on control of soil-transmitted helminths.


Belizario noted that an infected person can transmit 10 million parasitic eggs per gram of feces and spread the infection to a great number of people in his community.


"Parasitic infection is not just a problem of one child because it can spread to other members of the household and the community and it can become a nationwide health problem," he said.


He cited studies indicating that 90 percent of students in public schools nationwide and one out of 10 teachers in a school in Laguna are infected with parasites and probably spreading the infection to others.


According to Belizario, the public health problem should be properly addressed immediately because it has already led to underdevelopment of many school children.


Parasitic infection can cause abdominal pains, reduced cognitive development, lack of height, anemia and other serious complications, and even death.


"Parasites can sometimes get into the gall bladder and lead to the death of the infected person," he said.


In fact, Belizario said, 10 worms can suck as much as .5 cubic centimeter of blood a day from an infected person while 20 ascaris can consume .7 gram of carbohydrates.


"Some P725 million worth of rice is lost annually because of parasitic infection and this loss does not include the health problems suffered by those infected," he said.


To address the problem, Belizario urged the government and the private sector to jointly undertake mass treatment of infected school children and a health education campaign.


He urged the public to observe proper hygiene and environmental sanitation to prevent further spread of parasitic infection.

Hey guys, I'm going to be out for a little while again. My sister is going to be having a kid (likely in the next 48 hours). I'm on driving duty since I have the fastest car (yay for having a car built to race!). Just thought I'd let everyone know.

Matthew Thompson wrote:

Hey guys, I'm going to be out for a little while again. My sister is going to be having a kid (likely in the next 48 hours). I'm on driving duty since I have the fastest car (yay for having a car built to race!). Just thought I'd let everyone know.

Congratulations to your Sister, and the Proud soon to be Uncle.

Matthew Thompson wrote:

Hey guys, I'm going to be out for a little while again. My sister is going to be having a kid (likely in the next 48 hours). I'm on driving duty since I have the fastest car (yay for having a car built to race!). Just thought I'd let everyone know.

Congratulations to your sister and family.

Keep in mind that your sister having a baby is not a good excuse to drive at excessive speeds. Remember, safety first. If required, call your local listed emergency number for an ambulance.

Thanks for the info. Will be posting tomorrow. Work starts earlier than I thought it was going to today.

I'll try to get a mission post up once I'm back on my computer tonight. Multiple quoting on my phone is a pain in the backside!

Tag to away team...and there's also an outstanding tag on the ship to Mr. Sanek. :-)

Tag Away Team.

Okay. I'm back, sister had my nephew yesterday. (And I didn't drive that fast :P)

Congratulations Uncle. A nephew wonderful.

My posts probably won't be too stellar the next few weeks or so. Lots of family/anxiety issues still going on.

Don't worry about it, Henriks. We'll still be here when things calm down for you.

Take care of yourself Henriks! Real Life takes precedence!

Tag: Henriks and the away team.

Tags Away Team...

Tag to cave folks!

Tags To Cave people....

Tag to Ms. Es'Starla

Tag to Van Gelder.

Sorry about the abrupt end to the mission guys, but it's really time we moved on!

Thank you to everyone who participated. We should have the next mission up soon!