New Drug Might Kill All Viruses

Doctors may soon be able to prescribe a drug that kills all viruses, according to new research from MIT. DRACO is a novel broad-spectrum treatment that appears to cause virus-infected cells in the body to commit suicide, eventually killing (or at least controlling) the infection throughout the body.

A recent study found that DRACO effectively kills 15 different virus types in both human and animal cells, including polio, dengue fever, a stomach virus, various types of hemorrhagic fever (including the scary-deadly Ebola virus), the H1N1 "swine" flu virus, and even the common cold! According to Todd Rider, DRACO's inventor and a top researcher at MIT:

“In theory, it should work against all viruses."

Basically the new anti-viral drug works by telling an infected cell to kill itself before a virus can replicate inside of it. In effect it manipulates the cell's natural defense mechanisms in a way that wipes out a virus before it can produce many copies of itself.

The best news is that, according to experts, viruses may not be able to become resistant to the effects of DRACO the way they do to many other anti-viral compounds. There is simply no direct pathway to resistance because the drug really acts on the cell, not on the virus itself. Scientists are hoping DRACO will be the virus "cure-all" we've been waiting for for thousands of years!

Learn some mo': New drug could cure nearly any viral infection

Blood Oxygenation Treatment Might Cure Severe Swine Flu Infections

Using a special medical treatment that oxygenates the blood may save the lives of people with severe H1N1 flu ("swine flu") infections, according to new research from Britain. The procedure, called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, basically involves adding oxygen to a person's blood outside of the body and then returning it to the body. It's a powerful (but expensive) technology that's already used to treat patients with severe respiratory problems, including newborn babies born prematurely.

Researchers took a close look at cases where patients developed breathing problems due to H1N1 infections. They noticed that people who received the oxygenation treatment were much less likely -- about 50% less likely in fact -- to die from the viral infection than those who didn't get the treatment.

There are already several types of mainstream oxygen therapies used to treat a variety of ailments. Also, many alternative health practitioners consider oxygen-boosting treatments -- such as hydrogen peroxide and ozone treatments -- to be among the best "natural" health treatments out there. The study's authors say that factors other than the oxygenation procedure might be responsible for the decreased risk of death, but it's reasonable to believe that significantly boosting oxygen levels in the blood directly or indirectly killed the H1N1 virus and saved lives.

Learn some mo': Oxygenating Blood of Hospitalized H1N1 Flu Patients Saved Lives

Swine Flu Virus "Superpowers" May End Flu Infections Forever!

People who are infected with swine flu and survive appear to remain with a "superpowered" immune system capable of fighting off just about any other strain of influenza virus. Scientists believe that studying this incredible phenomenon may help lead to a "universal" flue vaccine that protects a person from the flu for life!

Researchers say that the H1N1 swine flu virus appears to cause the human immune system to produce a huge variety of antibodies beyond just the ones that specifically target the H1N1 strain. Every swine flu infection causes a giant burst of immunological activity. This appears to trigger a "blanket" response where the body tries to produce antibodies for every possible type of influenza in nature.

This immune response is very unique and is far beyond what happens during a normal flu infection or after a typical seasonal flu vaccine is given. According to researchers, just 5 of the antibodies created during a swine flu infection are enough to provide protection from ALL seasonal flu types, the dangerous bird flu variation H5N1, and even the ultra-deadly Spanish flu strain that killed over 50 million people in 1918!

Scientists say that don't yet know if the H1N1 flu vaccine provides the same level of protection. But there is a good chance it provides at least some of the benefits. According to virus expert Dr. Sarah Gilbert from Oxford University:

"Many scientists are working to develop a vaccine that would protect against the many strains of flu virus. This work gives us more confidence that it will be possible to generate a universal flu vaccine. It will take at least five years before anything like this could be widely available."

No more flu ever again? Sounds good to us! :D

Learn some mo': Swine flu gives its survivors supercharged immunity

Children's Swine Flu Vaccine Recalled

Nearly 800,000 doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine for children have been recalled by drug manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur. According to US health officials the doses appear to have lost a significant amount of potency, meaning that they may not be effective for protecting against the swine flu in some cases. The good news is that the weaker vaccine doses pose no safety risk and it also shows that the drug company itself is routinely testing their vaccines to make sure that they're up to par. Also, since the recalled vaccine is only slightly below the required potency level children who received it probably don't need to be vaccinated again. In most cases they slightly weaker vaccine should be enough to provide enough immunity to protect the child against H1N1.

Read some mo': Large Recall of Children's Swine Flu Vaccine

Tags: flu vaccine

A Little Less Swine Flu

More good news about the swine flu pandemic. Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta are reporting a decrease in H1N1 influenza activity in the United States. Basically, fewer states are now reporting "widespread" flu activity. Still, health and disease experts are warning that flu activity is still extremely high, much higher than it normally is at this time of year. Also, it's definitely too early to know if the worst of the flu season is over for this winter. So keep taking those healthy precautions to protect yourself from flu and its dangerous effects (e.g. getting enough sleep, taking vitamin D and vitamin C supplements, avoiding sugars and processed foods, etc.).

Learn some mo': H1N1 cases decrease as vaccine availability increases

Tags: swine flu

You Have a .02% Chance of Dying from Swine Flu

Real numbers show that the swine flu isn't as deadly as some people think it is. Of the approximately 22 million Americans who have come down with the swine flu, about 4000 have died. That's less than a .02% "Case Fatality Rate". Believe it or not, this is actually quadruple the early estimates made last spring. Still, health experts are saying that this does not mean the swine flu has worsened. It's just that now we have a better understanding of the disease and more real world statistics to evaluate.

The good news is this: if you get the swine flu you will very likely survive and, in fact, you probably won't even need a doctor's care! Still, it's very early in the flu season and, according to scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, we have a long flu-filled winter ahead of us.

You might want to start taking extra vitamin C and vitamin D now, both of which can boost the immune system and help protect you from viral infections. In fact there are many natural flu prevention techniques you can use.

Stay tuned for more swine flu news...

Tags: swine flu news