Yellow fever was an epidemic in the U.S. during the 19th century with cases reported as far north as Philadelphia. The last known case happened in New Orleans in 1905 resulting to many deaths. Flavivirus also know as Yellow fever virus is a RNA virus. The enveloped is spherical and about 50 nm in diameter. The surface proteins are composed in an icosahedral-like symmetry (Dao, 2010). Full grown virions contain two virus-encoded membrane proteins (M and E), while immature virions have a membrane…
Yellow Fever Yellow fever is a potentially deadly infection that has the power to kill with just a bite from a mosquito. This infection, that mainly began in the 1900’s, has caused many people to have nasty symptoms and even death. This potent disease has gruesome consequences if it is allowed to reach the further stages, and it has the ability to transmit rapidly within a short period of time. The initial symptoms will appear three to six days after being bitten by a mosquito. The three to…
We know what caused it, a near-cure, where it came from, and how to prevent it. We know that the Aedes Aegypti, a type of mosquito, causes Yellow Fever. The mosquitos breed and lay their eggs in water and like to come out at night. The incest loves hot weather and comes out during that time. In 1793, though, they didn’t have a complete understanding…
Discoveries in the field of genetics have given the world hope for a brighter future. With promises of disease eradication, increased intelligence, and longer lifespans, it is no wonder that people believe that this altering our genetic code is the solution to all of our problems. However, with all of these potential benefits, there come potential dangers. A new scientific breakthrough has come our way. Referred to as CRISPR, this new technology is the easiest, cheapest, and most reliable way of…
The article “Zika virus discovered in infant brains bolsters link to microcephaly” by Gretchen Vogel and the article “5 things you need to know about Zika” by Sandee LaMotte both discuss the growing dangers of Zika virus. Each author takes a deeper look into the virus, but also each author varies on the way that Zika virus is discussed. The first author Vogel discusses more about the personal experience of pregnant woman and the link of birth defects caused by the Zika virus. The second author…
Critical thinking is a series of thinking processes to assess judgment, assumption, argument or claim in a thorough and rational manner. Critical thinking is the most fundamental skills that can be achieved by postgraduate students which applicable to other context as well, or termed as a transferable skill. Postgraduate students are primarily working on a research project which suits well with their own interest. On the daily basis, students are using scientific approach to figure out the…
All the branches of government have protocols to follow. In order, for the government to work efficiently they uses certain rules to help give them structure and organization. The committee hearings are ways the government and government officials partake in to help the economy. The legislators are the main audience of the committee hearings and would revert to the meeting to be well equipped with important information, regarding societal issues and gives methods to solve problems. There are…
Immitis. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. Over 70 species of mosquitos can serve as an intermediate host of which the most common carriers would be the Aedes, Anopheles and Culex. It is commonly diagnosed in dogs but can also affect cats as well as ferrets. Infections are also possible in wild animals such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, California gray seals, sea lions and raccoons. On rare occasions,…
Train Wreck Honestly, I was trying to envision the absolute state of wreckage (pardon the redundancy) my country now finds itself in as something apart from my daily exile experience… when the whole story turned more personal than I’d have expected: A nice woman I know has found herself pregnant during the panic wave surrounding pregnancies in the mosquito-stricken Brazil of these last few weeks. We have been discussing this, and Alan advised me, if I ever wanted to write about it, I should do…
In the United States, a devastating water crisis is occurring. Water in the town of Flint, Michigan has been contaminated with toxic substances, resulting in residents getting sick. The problem originated from a water rehabilitation project when officials decided to build a pipeline in order to draw water from Lake Huron. However, the pipeline became too expensive and was never finished. Instead officials elected to draw municipal water from the Flint River instead. Sadly, the Flint River…