The Zika Virus

[Manforallseasons]

You might think, bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, and viral infections are caused by viruses. Perhaps the most important distinction between bacteria and viruses is that antibiotic drugs usually kill bacteria, but they aren't effective against viruses.(Mayo Clinic)

[Tobi]

Teixobactin has been found to treat many common bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, septicaemia and C. diff, and could be available within five years.

The operative word there is could and that Teixobactin may only treat common infections. In the meantime... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34269315

ps. Your welcome :-)

[Smiles]

You might think, bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, and viral infections are caused by viruses. Perhaps the most important distinction between bacteria and viruses is that antibiotic drugs usually kill bacteria, but they aren't effective against viruses.(Mayo Clinic)

Absolutely correct MFAS. Antibiotics are never used against viral infections because they don't work. Viruses are destroyed by vaccines only.
Thus, Thaiguest's know-it-all-ism are pretty much hogwash in this particular area. (Not unusual).
To wit:

" ... The day may not be far off when we'll all know somebody personally who has died from a viral infection. Doctors and scientists have been mixing and matching the same set of antibiotics for 30 years in a losing race against mutating viruses ... "

Once a vaccine has been discovered, tested, and used in the general population they have been, and continue to be, highly succesful.
Antibiotics on the other hand are starting to become problematical ... especially if over-used.

[Tobi]

" ... The day may not be far off when we'll all know somebody personally who has died from a viral infection. Doctors and scientists have been mixing and matching the same set of antibiotics for 30 years in a losing race against mutating viruses ... "

If you substitute "bacterial" for "viral" @thaiguest could very well be prescient.

[Smiles]

If you substitute "bacterial" for "viral" @thaiguest could very well be prescient.

Yeah yeah yeah ... well, I could substitute "Trump is a piece of moronic shit" for "Trump is just telling it like it is, eh, fantastic", no problem.
But I'd rather not be even half that presicient.
It still remains ... Thaiguest gets it wrong a lot of the time. Enough for folks to wonder about his, er, 'predictions'.

[thaiguest]

Ah the latest medical hysteria. Remember SARS, Asian flu., etc , the list is endless.
Anyone know anybody personally who died from them?
Thought not....
Next topic please!

The day may not be far off when we'll all know somebody personally who has died from a viral infection. Doctors and scientists have been mixing and matching the same set of antibiotics for 30 years in a losing race against mutating viruses.
If new options are not found soon we will be all be wiped out by a virus or viruses before a meteor or a Yellowstone blow-out gets us.

What? So you're basically saying there's been no technological advances within the medical industry for 30 years? Are you high?

No. I didn't mention technology.

At a time when medical research needs to redouble its efforts in the area of viral infection etc federal funding in the USA for instance has been reduced.

[thaiguest]

If you substitute "bacterial" for "viral" @thaiguest could very well be prescient.

Yeah yeah yeah ... well, I could substitute "Trump is a piece of moronic shit" for "Trump is just telling it like it is, eh, fantastic", no problem.
But I'd rather not be even half that presicient.
It still remains ... Thaiguest gets it wrong a lot of the time. Enough for folks to wonder about his, er, 'predictions'.

My Buddha what a nest of Google Doctors we have here!
Sawatdee Google Thailand.

[goji]

At a time when medical research needs to redouble its efforts in the area of viral infection etc federal funding in the USA for instance has been reduced.

Governments are so bad at allocating capital, perhaps that might be a good thing.

Seems like we need some innovations to deal with mosquitoes.
A couple of hundred useless governments might not achieve much, but I have higher hopes for 7 billion people & private sector capital.

The governments just need to create the right tax incentives for wiping out mosquitoes.

[thaiguest]

At a time when medical research needs to redouble its efforts in the area of viral infection etc federal funding in the USA for instance has been reduced.

Governments are so bad at allocating capital, perhaps that might be a good thing.

Seems like we need some innovations to deal with mosquitoes.
A couple of hundred useless governments might not achieve much, but I have higher hopes for 7 billion people & private sector capital.

The governments just need to create the right tax incentives for wiping out mosquitoes.

There are pros and cons with state and corporate medical research . Companies are very good agents of research but of course they're profit driven and thus explore the areas that will have a consumer base that can pay and this base often includes government as customers of course. The state /government has a duty to over-arch vested interests in laying down a strategy at the macro level for the common good but of couse the state moves slowly being the red-tape bound giant that it is. The WHO has had great success in wiping out diseases that plaqued humanity for thousands of years previously. But the next big push will come on the back of renewed and refinanced research by a combination of Nations. Tax incentives for private companies (some of which are bigger than states) sounds like a good idea in this regard.