RHD And Humans, Are We At Risk?
"The necessary slaughter of about 1.5 million chickens in Hong Kong and deaths of several people - from a virus that experts previously thought could never be transmitted to humans - ought to be a wake-up call for the risks posed by a different viral family called caliciviruses, says Dr. Alvin Smith, a professor of veterinary medicine at Oregon State University.The most immediate concern, he says, is the intentional spread in Australia and New Zealand of a calicivirus linked to a fatal hemorrhagic disease in rabbits. He outlines those concerns, the history of known caliciviral diseases and emergence of new ones in two professional articles just released, including one in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
'I see little difference scientifically between what happened in Hong Kong with that flu virus and what may be evolving right now with caliciviruses,' said Smith, who directs the OSU Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies and this week will testify to a New Zealand legislative committee that is considering legalizing release of the rabbit virus. 'The biggest difference is that in Hong Kong they took aggressive steps to control a virus deadly to animals, whereas in New Zealand they are proposing to spread one.' "
The above insert was taken from an article written for OSU News, a publication of Oregon State University, by David Stauth on February 4, 1998 titled "Report: Emerging viruses merit more concern."
When looking at the potential for human illness in regards to RHD, one must consider that all of the evidense is not in yet. Though, new information gathered since the above article was published, suggests that the concern is as grave as Dr. Smith, a leader in the study of the Calici Virus family, suspected.
Recent studies done in Australia support Dr. Smith's concerns. Two groups of people were studied, one with a high exposure to RHD, the other with no exposure. Of those who were exposed, reported twice the rate of illness aas the other. Symptoms ranged from flu symptoms, to skin rashes to neurologic symptoms. Further information regarding Dr. Smith's work in regards to the dangers presented by the Calici Virus can be found in his report Calicivirus Emergence from Ocean Reservoirs: Zoonotic and Interspecies Movements, published in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol 4 No 1, January thru March, 1998
Another study, "In Vitro Isolation and Characterization of a Calicivirus Causing a Vesicular Disease of the Hands and Feet" by A. W. Smith, E. S. Berry,, D. E. Skilling, J. E. Barlough, S. E. Poet, T. Berke, J. Mead. and D. O. Matson, published in the journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases (1998;26:434-9), shows that a calicivirus isolated from the flippers of northern fur Seals, caused a human's hands and feet to blister. Caliciviruses of every other group are not species specific. In fact, all other types of Caliciviruses cause human disease, (see The Calici Family.)
RHD has only been effecting Rabbits since 1984. Where did it come from? What Calicivirus mutated into this deadly form, a "human" or animal Calicivirus? We must also consider the high and rapid mortality rate. It is not in the interest of a virus to kill it's host so quickly, and when a virus acts upon the species it infects in this manner, the behavior supports the concept that it has jumped from a less deadlier form infecting another species. This then leads us to question any assuredness that it cannot cross again to an other species.
If RHD was assuredly not a danger to human health, we seriously doubt the Center for Disease Control would be taking the precautions they have chosen to instigate as outlined in a letter to the Coalition. They are monitoring the health of humans who come in contact with the virus here in the U.S. In addition, though APHIS began to spread the information that RHD could not infect other species, even they eventually backed down from this stand. Their statements now say "not considered to be zoonotic."
No Calicivirus can be taken lightly, certainly not RHD, the deadliest virus on the planet. For more information regarding Caliciviruses and human infection, please visit CaliciWatch.org
-- Mother
Teresa
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