Mysterious Killer Pneumonia

[kath]

Originally posted by Rox@Mar 29 2003, 10:08 AM
According to the CDC on 3/27:

Much laboratory work continues here at CDC and in a WHO-supported network of laboratories working worldwide, to continue to try to sort out the cause of this illness. The evidence in favor of this illness being caused by a previously unrecognized virus in the group of viruses known as corona viruses continues to mount. I'm not prepared that we're ready to say it's definitive evidence yet. Much work remains to be done. But the preponderance of the evidence as it evolves here and in other laboratories around the world is consistent with a previously unrecognized corona virus playing an important role.

Rad's Coronavirus page

Considering the rate of prescription for antibiotic and immunosuppressant drugs (Prednisone, anyone? Cures whatever ails ya! Just ask your doctor!), along with the overuse of anti-bacterial soaps, it's no wonder viruses are mutating into new resistant strains.

What I'd like to know is what's up in Asia that these killer bugs almost always originate there? I heard someone on the news call this Hong Kong Flu -- which I remember from like 30 years ago or so!

Rox -

Weird - I hadn't heard of coronavirus before yesterday and now I've heard it 3 times. Here, on the news and from our vet. The new puppy got sick and they tested him for parvovirus (negative! ) and coronavirus (negative! ). Was reading up on all this stuff last night on peteducation.com. I had no idea so many viral things like this can go from dog (or other animals) to humans.

The good news is that the pup is keeping down solids and pedialite now - I think with round the clock care this weekend, he'll pull through. Doc thinks it's a bacterial-based thing. No wonder - like you said, we over use anti-bacterial soaps, hand lotions, etc. - I just noticed that a face scrub I bought claims to be anti-bacterial too. Talk about too much of a good thing!

Everything is educational - the things I've learned about pups in the past couple of days are just amazing.