Comments on: Did the Eradication of Smallpox Accidentally Help the Spread of HIV? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Mon, 21 May 2012 04:06:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: James http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-354408 James Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:41:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-354408 Bahzinga! Bahzinga!

]]> By: Quinn O'Neill http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178974 Quinn O'Neill Wed, 19 May 2010 21:51:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178974 Rebecca, If alteration to the CCR5 receptor confers immunity to both HIV and smallpox, then protection against HIV shouldn't outlast protection against smallpox. Though, it's possible that persistent changes to the receptor provide some protection against both viruses beyond 10 years. I may have wrongly assumed that the article was implying greater protection against HIV than would persist against smallpox 10 years after vaccination. Rebecca,

If alteration to the CCR5 receptor confers immunity to both HIV and smallpox, then protection against HIV shouldn’t outlast protection against smallpox. Though, it’s possible that persistent changes to the receptor provide some protection against both viruses beyond 10 years. I may have wrongly assumed that the article was implying greater protection against HIV than would persist against smallpox 10 years after vaccination.

]]> By: Rebecca http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178887 Rebecca Wed, 19 May 2010 18:27:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178887 I don't think the scientists are arguing that stopping small pox vaccination CAUSED HIV. As Jennifer's link pointed out, scientists believe HIV (or SIV) was first transmitted to humans in the 1930s. Moreover, monkeys and chimps don't have HIV, they have SIV. Diseases spread between species by being transmitted (often through eating the animal meat or close contact in farming or hunting) to another species and then mutating in such a way that they affect the new species. The question is what made HIV a pandemic in the 80s? It seems possible that stopping the small pox vaccinations allowed the virus to mutate faster in non-vaccinated individuals thus increasing the spread of the disease. Of course, this is all correlation at this point. Re: Quinn - As the article says, "The researchers believe vaccination may offer some protection against HIV by producing long-term alterations in the immune system" In other words, the antibodies that protect against small pox may become ineffective after 5 years but if the vaccination causes permanent/long lasting changes to the immune system (esp. because it's given as a child when the immune system is developing), it is plausible that it could have contributed to the spread of HIV. I don’t think the scientists are arguing that stopping small pox vaccination CAUSED HIV. As Jennifer’s link pointed out, scientists believe HIV (or SIV) was first transmitted to humans in the 1930s. Moreover, monkeys and chimps don’t have HIV, they have SIV. Diseases spread between species by being transmitted (often through eating the animal meat or close contact in farming or hunting) to another species and then mutating in such a way that they affect the new species.

The question is what made HIV a pandemic in the 80s? It seems possible that stopping the small pox vaccinations allowed the virus to mutate faster in non-vaccinated individuals thus increasing the spread of the disease. Of course, this is all correlation at this point.

Re: Quinn – As the article says, “The researchers believe vaccination may offer some protection against HIV by producing long-term alterations in the immune system” In other words, the antibodies that protect against small pox may become ineffective after 5 years but if the vaccination causes permanent/long lasting changes to the immune system (esp. because it’s given as a child when the immune system is developing), it is plausible that it could have contributed to the spread of HIV.

]]> By: Jennifer Angela http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178835 Jennifer Angela Wed, 19 May 2010 16:15:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178835 Frankly I don´t think there is a direct link between vaccines and the HI-virus. But if anybody ever manages to cure those Aids-infected monkeys, there would be a cure for Aids. Personally, I have always been awfully cautious about protecting myself against Aids, which might be the reason why I don´t have the HI-virus, but I think we all need to consider, that sometimes people DO have back luck: I have read a true story about a female tourist, who was actually a virgin before having been infected with Aids due to a summer holiday love affair. That´s what I call bad luck! Frankly I don´t think there is a direct link between vaccines and the HI-virus. But if anybody ever manages to cure those Aids-infected monkeys, there would be a cure for Aids.

Personally, I have always been awfully cautious about protecting myself against Aids, which might be the reason why I don´t have the HI-virus, but I think we all need to consider, that sometimes people DO have back luck: I have read a true story about a female tourist, who was actually a virgin before having been infected with Aids due to a summer holiday love affair. That´s what I call bad luck!

]]> By: Jennifer Angela http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178832 Jennifer Angela Wed, 19 May 2010 16:10:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178832 As I have discovered right now, there is also a fourth theory on how come people "received" the HI-virus from monkeys: you can read all about it on the following website: http://edition.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/06/13/monkeys.aid/ As I have discovered right now, there is also a fourth theory on how come people “received” the HI-virus from monkeys: you can read all about it on the following website:

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/06/13/monkeys.aid/

]]> By: Jennifer Angela http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178831 Jennifer Angela Wed, 19 May 2010 16:03:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178831 I´ve read once that the HI-virus was originally spread due to a human being either 1. fighting against a monkey (which had HIV), or 2. drinking the blood of an AIDS-infected monkey (drinking monkey blood is a tradition among some african tribes....young grooms drink blood in order to be capable of satisfying their young brides during their wedding night more than they normally would be...), 3. some human being might have had sexual intercourse with a monkey, which had the HI-virus. I´ve read once that the HI-virus was originally spread due to a human being either 1. fighting against a monkey (which had HIV), or 2. drinking the blood of an AIDS-infected monkey (drinking monkey blood is a tradition among some african tribes….young grooms drink blood in order to be capable of satisfying their young brides during their wedding night more than they normally would be…), 3. some human being might have had sexual intercourse with a monkey, which had the HI-virus.

]]> By: pheldespat http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178621 pheldespat Wed, 19 May 2010 07:16:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178621 Correlation does not imply causation. Correlation does not imply causation.

]]> By: Quinn O'Neill http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178574 Quinn O'Neill Wed, 19 May 2010 05:37:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178574 According to WHO: "Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that vaccination protects against smallpox for less than five years after primary vaccination and that substantial but waning immunity can persist for ten years or longer." Vaccination is typically performed in early childhood. If unprotected sex is a big part of the problem, and those engaging in this practice can be assumed to be over the age of 15, then recently vaccinated people weren't the best choice for the study. According to WHO:
“Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that vaccination protects against smallpox for less than five years after primary vaccination and that substantial but waning immunity can persist for ten years or longer.”

Vaccination is typically performed in early childhood. If unprotected sex is a big part of the problem, and those engaging in this practice can be assumed to be over the age of 15, then recently vaccinated people weren’t the best choice for the study.

]]> By: rabidmob http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178424 rabidmob Wed, 19 May 2010 01:43:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178424 Your assumption would then be that they were not that way prior to the discontinuation of the small pox vaccine. In other words it is not relevant to the study. You are however correct as to what is large contributor to the fact of, but not a reason for a sudden spike. Your assumption would then be that they were not that way prior to the discontinuation of the small pox vaccine.

In other words it is not relevant to the study.

You are however correct as to what is large contributor to the fact of, but not a reason for a sudden spike.

]]> By: derek http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/05/18/did-the-eradication-of-smallpox-accidentally-help-the-spread-of-hiv/comment-page-1/#comment-178269 derek Tue, 18 May 2010 16:32:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=14970#comment-178269 Couldn't unprotected sex and a population that has no concept of what HIV is or how it spreads be to blame for the rapid spread? Couldn’t unprotected sex and a population that has no concept of what HIV is or how it spreads be to blame for the rapid spread?

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