#Tuberculosis Vaccines

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

[arthurs-tb-vaccine]

Thought I'd elaborate on the tags from my previous post, so here's some things about Arthur's tuberculosis. There's some confusion sometimes about how Arthur's TB didn't spread to the rest of the gang, and since all things vaccines and medical care are my thing, I thought I'd break it down.

Firstly, there's different types of tuberculosis.

Thomas Downes had very aggressive tuberculosis, and likely didn't have much time left whether Arthur had beat him or not. Arthur caught the illness from Thomas spitting blood in Arthur's face, near his mouth.

Now, "active" tuberculosis can spread very quickly and can make you ill very quickly, but there's also something called Latent Tuberculosis (LTBI). This form of tuberculosis is spread through a different strain of bacteria compared to active tuberculosis, meaning that the illness can stay in you for a very long time without displaying any symptoms. You cannot spread it unless you give someone the bacteria through specific means, like Thomas Downes' spitting blood in Arthur's mouth.

Secondly, people who have latent tuberculosis are infected with the TB bacteria, not the TB disease.

The latent tuberculosis bacteria essentially "sleeps" in your body until it's either woken up, or you're on medication that keeps it "asleep". You can live a regular life with latent tuberculosis for the most part, and Arthur's case, he did for a little while. He didn't show many symptoms until the later chapters.

But the thing is, latent tuberculosis can very easily become active tuberculosis.

Things like stress, lack of self care, poor living conditions, and Arthur's lifestyle in general, did not help Arthur's illness. I'd argue and say that Guarma was the point that Arthur's tuberculosis really became active, the whole situation with what happened on that island was enough to set it off irreversibly.

So there's a chance that if Guarma never happened, then Arthur may have had a little more time. But that's just me.

The depth of how not only Arthur changed, but his illness changing with him, physically aches me.

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 1-7

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1. Zoo hails birth of 'one of world's rarest animals'

“[Jasper] the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy. […] Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers[, … which] only survive in two small, protected areas in Iran, a Chester Zoo spokesman said. […] Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at Chester Zoo, […] said Jasper is "doing very well" and added that "mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge". "He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat", Mr Jordan added.”

2. Charity creates 50 community orchards in city

“Community orchards are returning to Birmingham, with the aim of teaching people how to grow their own food and be part of the solution to climate change. […] Once established, the long-term aim is to distribute the produce to those most in need, but local people are also invited to pick the odd bit of fruit. […] By planting trees and plants and encouraging biodiversity back to these areas the charity is also doing its bit to help climate change. They even use locally sourced wood chip which helps to put carbon back into the soil. […T]he hope is that these edible landscapes can also be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”

3. Farmer-led badger vaccination could revolutionize mission to tackle bovine TB

“[… T]he results of a four-year pilot badger vaccination program co-managed between farmers, scientists, and conservationists […] show the percentage of badgers testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the study area dropped from 16% to 0%[….] While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, transmission from wild badgers plays a role in the persistence of the disease. […] Blood sampling showed that the proportion of badgers with bTB fell even though overall badger numbers remained high[….]”

4. Every Colorado Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Fails To Collect Enough Signatures

“Anti-transgender politics are becoming increasingly unpopular in polls. […] A recent LA Times/NORC poll found that 77% of voters believe elected officials use transgender debates to divert attention from more pressing issues. The poll also showed significant opposition to forced outing policies. […] A Gallup poll published in June revealed that while Americans have mixed views on the morality of transitioning, the majority oppose bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. […] “The fact that they could not get enough signatures, barely half, to be placed on the ballot shows they lack support from everyday voters.”

5. In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning

“The partnership [between Indigenous communities and Smithsonian researchers] sparked a decades-long community-led conservation movement that has protected the red siskin and helped locals reconnect with nature. [… T]he South Rupununi Conservation Society […] established one of the country’s first conservation zones to protect the species, covering 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. […] To plant the seeds of conservation, they’ve implemented an after-school program in more than 16 communities, [introducing children] to ecological research and surveying, and also [teaching] about Indigenous culture and tradition, including fire management skills.”

6. North Adams hospital gets federal designation which pays for health care in rural areas

“[The hospital] received a federal designation on Wednesday that is key to its long-term financial stability. […] The designation pays for staffing regardless of the number of patients[… and] “works to resolve stark inequities in rural and underserved communities as it relates to our nation’s health system."”

7. Andrea Vidaurre: Leading the clean transportation revolution

“Thanks to Vidaurre’s relentless advocacy and strong community support, these regulations introduced the first national standards for train emissions and set a groundbreaking goal for all freight trucks to be zero-emission by 2036. This initiative promises cleaner air for Californians and paves the way for a zero-emission vehicle future across the country. Studies predict these measures will prevent thousands of respiratory illnesses and save countless lives in the coming decades.”

8. Boston announces a new climate resilience office

“Through its Climate Ready Boston initiative, the city has worked to […] design creative adaptation plans with community input[, …] includ[ing] everything from redesigning waterfront parks and planting more trees, to modernizing the city’s underground sewer system[….] The Office of Climate Resilience will be in charge of coordinating work across city departments and with community groups[….]”

9. Combining Green Thumbs and Sustainable Fashion in a Swap Event

“This unique plant and clothing swap event in NSW is championing both environmental and fashion sustainability through native plants and preloved clothing. […] To participate in the plant swap, attendees brought their environmental weeds in a bag to the Council stall and exchanged them for free native plants. […] The event sparked valuable community conversations about the benefits of plant and clothes swaps, the impact of textile waste[, …] support a circular economy and combine a love for nature with practical, eco-friendly practices.”

10. Growing Green Spaces to Protect the Endangered Regent Parrot

“On Schools Tree Day, celebrated on 26 July, students from a local NSW school planted trees and shrubs to create crucial forage habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot, enhancing local biodiversity. […] Approximately 50 [… plants of] native species were chosen for their ecological benefits, helping to attract native birds, bees and butterflies while providing essential habitat and food. […] They [also] raise awareness about the regent parrot, encourage conservation efforts and emphasise the importance of protecting local wildlife. Additionally, conserving [the regent parrot] supports the health of their ecosystem by helping with in [sic] seed dispersal and maintaining plant diversity.”

July 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[16woodsequ]

Do you ever think about Steve discovering that they have resents developed a cure for Tuberculosis?

I think Steve would be super excited to learn that there is a cure for tuberculosis now. Not only that, but I think he would be so happy to learn about all the different vaccines we have now.

So many diseases from his childhood, polio, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, smallpox, have vaccines or have been eradicated! That's huge news. And because Steve grew up in a time where he experienced some of these first and second hand, he would really understand how important and amazing vaccines are.

I think he would be very pro-vaccine, but also would advocate for better vaccine access to non-American countries. Tuberculosis is still a dangerous disease in places like India, and I think Steve would want to do everything he could to make it so no one would have to lose their mother to tuberculosis again.

[macgyvermedical]

I'm wondering if I've been vaccinated for something and have no way of getting ahold of the records, but I know that through school, I got the ones that were required. So, I'm asking a basic question. In the USA, during the mid-90s, would someone have been given a vaccination for TB? I remember something to do with a skin test for TB before I could go into 8th grade, but I'm not sure if that was the actual vaccination. I'm asking now because there have been cases in the closest city to me and when that happened last month with measles, it spread to my county pretty quickly. I was raised by my grandma, and she told me how easy it was to spread TB.

Generally speaking you would not have gotten vaccinated for TB in the USA in the 1990s (unless you lived with someone who had TB). The US has never had a universal vaccination program for the TB vaccine.

The thing about the TB (BCG) vaccine is that it's not amazingly effective at preventing TB. Unfortunately, once you have the vaccine, the older, cheaper version of the test for TB (the mantoux skin test which it sounds like you had) will forever come up positive.

Prior to 2005, there was no easy alternative test for TB, and the mantoux skin test was pretty much the gold standard.

So countries had to make the decision of whether to vaccinate everyone and be okay with not being able to test, or forego the vaccine and choose to keep the ability to use the test.

Places where TB was more common tended to go for the vaccine, while places with lower incidence of TB chose a combination of testing (such as prior to and periodically while working in a medical facility, prison, or school) and prophylactic antibiotic use to prevent the spread of TB (for people who live with others who have TB). Children who live with someone who has active TB and can't take prophylactic antibiotics will still normally get the vaccine, but this is fairly rare.

TB spreads quickly through populations that live in close quarters (schools, prisons, healthcare facilities, group homes, camps, etc...). But usually it takes repeated contact with a person who has active TB infection to transmit infection. Latent TB (when someone has TB but doesn't have symptoms) cannot transmit the bacteria.

If you are concerned that you might be exposed to TB, I would call your health department. They will be able to give you better information about how to prevent TB in your own home or community.

[hlurz]

I'm making this poll because when I realized that not everyone has those marks on both arms because of the BCG vaccine I lost my mind

If you don't know what I'm talking about, have a little picture of my arm for reference..

If you want to reblog tagging where are you from, it would be great for my curiosity!

[purpleartrowboat]

"the company Johnson and Johnson will begin enforcing a secondary patent thus denying access to bedaquiline to around 6 million people in the next 4 years"

[bpod-bpod]

Frozen Out

Developed just over a hundred years ago, the BCG vaccine is the only vaccine widely-used against tuberculosis, or TB, a disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb, pictured). While highly effective in protecting infants from the most serious forms of disease, BCG is less successful in preventing transmission and lung disease in adults. TB remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, with most cases in South-East Asia and Africa. New vaccines are being tested, including promising solutions combining antigens, molecules provoking an immune response specifically against Mtb, with adjuvants, that further stimulate the immune system. In recent phase I clinical trials, a freeze-dried vaccine, that would not need to be kept refrigerated, was found to be safe, causing no serious side-effects, and to trigger antibody production. While still in early stages of testing, a more robust vaccine would be hugely beneficial to vaccination campaigns in remote areas.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Image from the NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda MD, USA

Research from Zachary K. Sagawa et al, Access to Advanced Health Institute (formerly Infectious Disease Research Institute), Seattle, WA, USA

Image in the Public Domain

Research published in Nature Communications, March 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[teachersource]

Camille Guérin was born on December 22, 1872. A French veterinarian, bacteriologist, and immunologist who, together with Albert Calmette, developed the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a vaccine for immunization against tuberculosis. He started as a technician in charge of preparing Calmette’s serum (antivenom against snake bites) and the vaccine against smallpox. After losing his father and wife to tuberculosis, he devoted himself to research on a vaccine. He discovered in 1905 that the bovine tuberculosis bacillum, the Mycobacterium bovis, could immunize the animals without causing the disease.

[arthurs-tb-vaccine]

Sure, tuberculosis can cause hallucinations and psychosis to an extent. That's why it's heavily theorised that Joan of Arc's famous visions were due to possible untreated tuberculosis.

But for Arthur's case, I don't think he saw the deer visions because of his tuberculosis. There's definitely some poetry in there if it was, but I think we're allowed to have unexplainable divine interventions sometimes.

Arthur would had to have been on death's door from very early on to experience that level of psychosis, which he wasn't until much later.

The world of rdr2 is realistic and full of painful, historical, truths, but there's also so much whimsy and supernatural mystery if you know where to look. Whatever Arthur saw, no matter how he saw it, was more of a reflection if anything.

[rconniff]

Time to Get Serious About Public Health

In Sierra Leone, where recent public health campaigns are saving children’s (and parents’) lives. by Richard Conniff The PBS/Channel 13 show “The Open Mind” has just aired its interview with me about my book Ending Epidemics: A History of Escape from Contagion. You can take check out the interview here or if 28 minutes is too big a commitment, take a look at the transcript below HEFFNER: I am…

[kirancmi]

Tuberculosis Vaccine Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Increasing Research Funding

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease generally affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. The main symptoms are cough with sputum and blood sometimes, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. Tuberculosis vaccines are given to prevent the disease or reduce its severity. Two main types of tuberculosis vaccines are available - Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and others in clinical trials. BCG vaccine provides some protection against severe forms of tuberculosis in childhood. Different organizations provide research funding for the development of improved or new tuberculosis vaccines with better efficacy. The global tuberculosis vaccine market is estimated to be valued at US$ 149.67 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 21.% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Market Dynamics: Increasing research funding for tuberculosis vaccine development is a major driver fueling growth of the tuberculosis vaccine market. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, total funding for tuberculosis research was US$ 778 million, with over half of research funded by public sources and the rest funded by private sources. Major public funders include National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), European Commission, Department for International Development (UK), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Moreover, various initiatives such as European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership of European Union worth €700 million and TB Vaccine Initiative jointly funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UK's Wellcome Trust are further promoting research and development of tuberculosis vaccines. Such initiatives are expected to translate into pipeline products entering the market in coming years, thereby supporting market growth over the forecast period. SWOT Analysis Strength: Tuberculosis is one of the leading infectious killer diseases globally. The availability of effective TB vaccine can help save millions of lives each year. The existing vaccines are moderately effective and shows protection for around 10 years. Continuous research and development efforts are helping scientists develop more effective long lasting TB vaccines. Weakness: Developing an effective vaccine against a complex disease like TB is a challenging task which requires extensive research. The exact mechanism by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects the body is still not fully understood which poses difficulty in vaccine development. High development cost and lengthy clinical trials are some other weaknesses. Opportunity: According to WHO, tuberculosis remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. The huge patient pool suffering from active and latent TB presents a massive market opportunity. Increasing government funding for TB research especially in high burden countries can boost vaccine development. Partnerships between private and public organizations is another opportunity area. Threats: Emergence of drug resistant TB strains is a major threat. Vaccines developed now may not remain effective against future strains in a rapidly evolving pathogen. Stringent regulatory norms for vaccine approval can increase uncertainty. Slow progress in TB diagnostic methods is also a challenge area. Key Takeaways The global tuberculosis vaccine market growth is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period supported by the increasing TB disease burden globally. According to WHO estimates, around 10 million new cases of TB emerged in 2021 reflecting the massive market potential.

Regionally Asia Pacific holds the highest potential owing to the large TB patient numbers. While preventive BCG vaccine offers partial protection, development of novel vaccines providing lifelong immunity remains the major focus.

Key players operating in the tuberculosis vaccine market are Fujitsu Limited, Mindtree Limited, IBM Corporation, Wipro Limited, Unisys Corporation, CenturyLink Inc., Virtustream Inc. and HCL Technologies Limited. These companies are engaged in developing novel vaccine candidates using advanced technologies. For instance, Fujitsu is working on a viral vector based vaccine targeting both active and latent TB infections. Similarly, Mindtree's artificial intelligence aided approaches can help accelerate vaccine screening. partners with academics and non-profits focused on neglected diseases to develop new tools in TB diagnosis and treatment. Further collaborative research is expected to result in an effective global vaccine to control the TB disease burden.

Get more insights on this topic: https://www.newsstatix.com/tuberculosis-vaccine-market-industry-insights-trends-tuberculosis-vaccine-market/

Explore more information on this topic, Please visit: https://wotpost.com/optical-transceivers-enabling-high-speed-data-transmission/

[umbrella-in-time-and-space-blog]

I found out the TB (BCG) vaccine arrived in my country in 1920, and between 1947 and 1995 it was mandatory to take it. I got it in school in 2008 - I was apparently the final group of kids in Norway where everyone got the vaccine.

We celebrate the purported geniuses who discovered the cure--but we don't acknowledge that discovering a cure means nothing unless and until we get the cure to the people who need it--an enterprise we've failed at to a remarkable degree over the last 70 years.

[ecomehdi]

Tuberculosis : The Role of Cord-Like Bacterial Aggregates in Tuberculosis 2024

Have you ever wondered how tuberculosis, a respiratory tract infection, takes root in our bodies? The answer lies in the fascinating world of bacteria and their unique behavior. In this article, we’ll delve into the intriguing phenomenon of cord-like bacterial aggregates and their role in causing tuberculosis infections. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple, steering clear of complex terms and…

[cletusthurstonbeauregard]

Shocking news from the business world!