Viral Fusion Inhibitors

A mosquito-borne virus that each year harms up to 100 million people and kills more than 20,000 is a step closer to being controlled after a breakthrough by Queensland scientists.

In a paper published in the prestigious international journal Science on January 2, researchers from The University of Queensland have proved the effectiveness of a new way of limiting the lifespan of the type of mosquito that spreads dengue fever.

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This is the SECOND in a series of brief expositions about disease-causing viruses among humans.

Because everyone and anyone can be infected by deadly viruses, it is best to be educated and enlightened about these deadly diseases as well as what type of virus could have been causing it, how to know when one is affected and how long does the infection take. These information is especially important in determining how to avoid, prevent or treat these diseases.

Coming from the most common insect around the globe, Malaria is a disease caused by mosquito-borne organisms called Plasmodium, of which the Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most common. However, the first type is considered the deadliest.

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This is the FIRST in a series of brief expositions about disease-causing viruses among humans.

Because everyone and anyone can be infected by deadly viruses, it is best to be educated and enlightened about these deadly diseases as well as what type of virus could have been causing it, how to know when one is affected and how long does the infection take. These information is especially important in determining how to avoid, prevent or treat these diseases.

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV)

Considered as the most widely known type of virus, the HIV is the one that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) or the severe damage in the most effective “built-in” defense mechanism of the human body, the immune system.To date, About 40 million people in the world are living with HIV or AIDS. This estimate includes 37 million adults and 2.5 million children.

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The rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) for swine-origin 2009 A(H1N1) influenza virus (S-OIV) in children may be most useful in young children who present early after symptom onset, according to the results of a large pediatric cohort study reported online in Pediatrics.

“Data on the test performance of the RIDT for S-OIV have been limited,” write Michael Hawkes, MD, from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues. “The few available reports in mixed adult-pediatric populations have shown variable sensitivity between 11% and 69%…. The rapidly evolving pandemic of novel 2009 [S-OIV] demands that accurate and practical diagnostics be urgently evaluated for their potential clinical utility.”

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Early year 2009, alert was raised in almost all parts of the globe as Swine flu rapidly spread among humans. The flu was caused by a new virus strain Influenza A subtype H1N1. Origin of the virus, according to a report from the New York Times, probably developed in pigs in Asia and then carried by human to America. This flu virus is highly contagious though its virulence is classified as mild. However, it caused panic among nations when it established a second wave during the cold since the mortality rates went up. While there was face mask shortage during its first attack, today, there is a shortage in vaccines.

Vaccines were developed since the 1770s. These were used as biological preparations for a disease, classically employed to prevent small pox and other types of flu. To prevent a certain type of disease, a vaccine – which is a milder version of the virus causing the disease – is injected to a person early on. This alerts and strengthens the immune system.

Though vaccines are acceptable, many still debates about its safety. Actually, in 1976, a swine flu vaccine was already developed and was used to immunize nearly the entire US population. However, according to Center of Disease Control and Prevention, it had been found to be linked with the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) – an autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system, usually triggered by an acute infectious process.

The latest issue about swine flu vaccines today is that the US stock for this immunizer is running dry. The priority recipients of the vaccines are children and pregnant women only. Healthy individuals infected by the virus are advised to take other forms of medications.

Other options to prevent or control swine flu include the medication Oseltamivir Phosphate and the most popular brand for it is the Tamiflu. It acts by interfering with the production and release of virus from cells that line the respiratory tract. This may slow the spread of the infection within the airways and lungs.

INTRODUCING: Viral Fusion Inhibitors

As an additional anti-viral solution to address the Swine flu hitch, a group of scientists developed a product which was derived from a naturally occurring substance, the Alfa HFi.

Against viruses, Alfa HFi works by encapsulating the invader with a coating carried out by agents called Viral Fusion Inhibitors. Because of the coating, viruses will not be able to penetrate a healthy cell and reproduce from it. What’s more is that Alfa HFi exhibits an Alert Mode Ability wherein the immune system is given a signal about the invader prompting it to dispatch the cause of the disease.

Alfa HFi is a very small but powerful naturally occurring water-soluble substance which has the ability to transform the molecular structure of water enabling it to better carry dissolve and transport elements to or from the cell. Thus, cells are effectively provided with nutrients while waste products are carried away from it. Furthermore, this Alfa HFi-activated water molecules help in neutralizing toxins and invaders.

Nutritional experts suggest that the breakthrough discovery of the Hfi substance is a vitally important nutrient, together with vitamins and minerals. This helps the body increase its resistance to colds and flu, and infections.

Moreover, Alfa HFi aids in supercharging the immune system; cleansing, neutralizing and removal of toxins and the purging of parasites, pathogens and viruses.