On viruses, silver linings

Uriel C. Quilinguing .

BY now, humans must have realized their most formidable enemies in the last four decades are viruses and, despite advances in medicines, they do not have the panacea. They could not perfect the vaccines that are needed to shield their hosts from the dreaded fatal diseases viruses can cause. These often single-celled virions are virulent and their vectors are small yet have, time and again, manifested terrible consequences. It’s puzzling why vectors of lethal viruses could not be totally exterminated.

Once transmitted, viruses can invade and immobilize the living cells of their hosts; they can destroy body immune systems and eventually cause deaths.

The microscopic virus we have in mind refers to the infective agent that is capable of multiplying within the living cell of a host. 

One of these parasitic viruses is flavivirus which is often referred to as dengue virus that is transmitted either by Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito, according to health experts whose medical studies include a subject on entomology—a study on insects and pests.

Then, there is that tick-borne asfivirus that has been wreaking havoc in hog industry in more than 20 countries, most of them in Asia, since last year. Just last week, the agricultural department  and her attached bureau of animal industry  has confirmed that the cause of deaths of pigs in Rizal and Quezon provinces were due to the highly fatal African swine fever which the asfivirus causes.   

Another virus is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or lentivirus that, if not contained by anti-retroviral drugs, may advance into an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Aids), thus allowing life-threatening opportunistic infections on the human host.  Of course, the virus is transmitted primarily through blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, breast milk and by birth from an HIV-positive person.

Earlier this year, the resurgence of measles, which a rubeola virus caused, alarmed the state’s health department parents since it did not only caused illnesses but also deaths. The annual measles immunization suffered due to the politicized treatment of the controversial dengvaxia vaccine against dengue.

There is another virus which, by the way, has been causing technological glitches due to the piece of code which is capable of copying itself and typically has detrimental effects, such as corrupting computer systems and stored data.

In the midst of dreadful viruses, we need the likes of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray who, during the question-and-answer segment of the pageant, gave a winning answer anchored on seeing  in every situation—even in worst of times—with a silver lining.

“I work a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila and the life there is poor and it’s very sad. And I have always taught myself to look for the beauty in it; to look in the beauty in the faces of the children and be grateful. And I will bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining.”

Clearly, Miss Gray’s message was clear that even the worst situations or situations have some positive aspect.

The bright side of the dengue epidemic was the impact it had on the importance of collaborative sustained public awareness campaign among agencies of government and the urgency at the community level for routine search and destroy of mosquito breeding sites. There is also that comforting prospect that those who wish to take advantage of people’s helplessness could ignore and relegate to the sidelines. And those into the business of insect repellents, including disinfectants, must have ethically recovered their investments since they could not cope up with the patients’ demand for their products.

Even Sanofi Pasteur, the world’s leading vaccine manufacturer based in Paris, as well as her country marketing agent could break in the clouds after the dengvaxia controversy.

In the case of the African swine fever, Northern Mindanao’s hog raisers are seeing the blue sky since if the region could keep themselves free from infection, then they have to increase their drove since there is a bullish market to absorb them.

At the same time, local feed millers and those veterinary product suppliers would have their hands full, buying raw material from locale and abroad and supplying their products to backyard raisers and piggery operators. This, of course, calls for San Miguel Corporation’s B-Meg to reconfigure her preferred areas for technical support on ASF-free areas.

With the ASF scare, aside from vigilance on pork products which may be out of double-dead meat, the general consuming public may abstain from eating pork and pork-products—fresh, frozen and canned—and shift to healthier sources of protein such as fish and chicken.

Even the exponential increases in HIV/Aids cases has compelled many sexually-active adults to re-examine their risky sexual behaviors and greater awareness, acceptance and support to persons living with HIV, thus reducing the stigma associated with this lifestyle disease.

There are those in the corridors of power who, with devious intentions, could be scheming enough to take advantage of virus-related diseases on humans and animals—and even in politics.

Contrary to what Miss Gray really meant, elective officials who are shrewd politicians may not be aware, that out of political patronage and in sharing the spoils to their followers, they are culturing electoral viruses— those who could not survive by themselves. They are the parasites to politicians; voting during elections according to the dictates of their hosts. And these are the electoral viruses that endanger and even destroy the very foundation of democracy—individual freedoms.