Slashdot Mirror


Black Death's Genome Cracked

exceed writes: "This article on Wired, and this article on Yahoo! News states that scientists have decoded the genome of the bubonic plague bacterium. This will now (hopefully soon) lead to vaccinations and treatments for the disease it causes."

252 comments

  1. I feel so much safer by skilbeck · · Score: 1

    How much do we have in common with it? Are we the cure?

    1. Re:I feel so much safer by Spootnik · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, while the destruction of the cats in the Middle ages may have contributed to (or even allowed) the huge increase in the rat population leading to the "Black Plague", I do feel a need to point out something regarding *current* problems with bubonic plague. One of the major problems with the plague is that the fleas that carry it do not live *exclusively* on rats. Domestic animals such as dogs and cats, can get them too.

      According to my source at the Coconino County Health Department in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, there have been less than 60 cases state wide, since the first recorded one in 1950, of what we commonly refer to as "bubonic plague". Bubonic plague is actually descriptive of a symptom, not the disease itself which is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis is, as mentioned in the earlier post, carried by fleas.

      The fleas of rats, mice, prairie dogs, squirrels, chipmunks and even rabbits can all carry Y. pestis. If your dog or cat is out running around free and catches or picks up a dead animal with infected fleas, your dog or cat can get those fleas. Once your pet has those fleas on him or her, they can be brought into your home and you can get the plague. However, this is apparently a very rare happening.

      In 1995 there were 5 cases of Plague (Y. pestis) in Arizona. 2 of these were in Coconino county. One of these was in a woman who apparently was infected while visiting relatives in Maricopa County. The other was a man who had been out shooting prairie dogs and had handled several of the carcasses, getting fleas from them. The person at the Coconino County Health Dept. did say it was much more likely to get the aforementioned fleas from a carcass that a dog or cat brought home than directly from your dog or cat, though that was certainly possible and is believed to have happened in the past.

      The point being, that while in the 14th century the "Black Death" (which is only assumed to be the same disease as Y. pestis) may or may not have been triggered by the decimation of the cat populations in Europe, we aren't living in the 1300's anymore. Now days, if you let your cat or dog run free he/she is liable to bring you a present that could cost you your life.

      And don't even get me started about Hanta virus....

    2. Re:I feel so much safer by kochsr · · Score: 1

      i love the title of the post... it's not like it's hard to sequence a genome (especially of a bacterium) all it takes is time on a few sequencers and a few graduate students/lab assistants...

    3. Re:I feel so much safer by haggar · · Score: 1

      Let me just add to this really good post that, fleas and other parasitic insects (carriers of other nasty diseases) thrive on hotter climate. We are, for example, experiencing an increase in the number of mosquitos across Europe and US. There have been oubreaks of Nile Fever in New Yourk, if I recall correctly, recently, carried by mosquitos.

      Also, the number of rats and cockroaches increased dramatically in the last 30 years. These species thrive in warm and overall unfriendly climate. So, global warming can affect your life in more ways than just ice-cup melting and sea level increase.

      --
      Sigged!
    4. Re:I feel so much safer by mvdwege · · Score: 1

      Great post. If I had mod points you'd get even higher. Allow me to add another observation to yours.

      It is IMO unlikely to blame massive cat-killing as a contributing cause to the Black Plague. The theory that cats kept the rat population down sounds fine, until you realise that cats are actually lousy ratters. A cat's natural reflexes are to shy away from anything that tries to attack it. Unlike mice, rats attack when they are cornered. So, except for a few specialist breeds and quirky individuals, cats are not likely to keep rat populations managable.

      I think a more likely explanation would be the urbanisation happening in Europe throughout the 14th century. This was the time of the rise of the urban merchants to power, and with them the growth of cities. More and more densely populated cities equals more rats. Coupled with the generally unhygienic conditions this is a recipe for disaster, and a disaster is what happened.

      Mart
      --
      "I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
    5. Re:I feel so much safer by LinuxHam · · Score: 1

      And don't even get me started about Hanta virus....

      Allow me.

      http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/xraturine.html

      It's the only way I can get friends and family to stop forwarding their junk mail to me. I tell them as soon as they see "please send to as many people as you know" that's a sign to delete it. If they continue to send their crap to me, I track down the urban legends link to their bullshit story and sent it back to them. It usually takes just 2 or 3 mailings before they stop forwarding me garbage.

      Most of the time they just take me off their spam list, so I'm not helping the Internet as a whole, just cleaning up my little corner of it.

      --
      Intelligent Life on Earth
    6. Re:I feel so much safer by uebernewby · · Score: 2

      Now days, if you let your cat or dog run free he/she is liable to bring you a present that could cost you your life.

      I'd say your overstating your case here.What you're forgetting to add is that even though your dog or your cat *may* bring you a nasty little surprise, this nasty little surprise isn't anywhere near as lethal today as it was back in the 1300's.

      At least, not for well-nourished, healthy "westerners" - IIRC, in the Indian subcontinent Plague epidemics break out every now and then, killing a fair number of people, but those deaths are probably caused more by the fact that the people hit have no stamina whatsoever due to the fact that they're malnourished. The same is true for other "deadly tropical diseases": Dengue fever, Malaria (the ordinary type, not the Malaria Tropica variety, which will kill just about anyone) and Cholera, to name but a few, won't kill a healthy adult, but in third world countries (to be more exact, in third world slums) these diseases, as well as the plague, *do* kill. In the 1300s, most of Europe was comparable to a present-day Calcuttan slum (if not worse), hence the black death took a lot of victims. Today, if you've got access to fair to good medical care, if you haven't been malnourished since (before) birth, contracting the plague will mean that you go see a doctor who gives you an antibiotic of some sort, you'll be feeling really miserable for a few days, and then you're cured.

      But yeah, you're right, occasionally dogs and cats do spread the plague bacterium.

      --

      News and bla for computer musicians: http://lomechanik.net/
    7. Re:I feel so much safer by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 2

      Yesterday, the New York Times had an article reporting claims that "The Black Death" was not neccesarily the Bubonic Plague (Yersinia pestis) (NY Times article), and might have been a hemhorhagic fever-- perhaps even Ebola. The genome of Ebola, is, by the way, known.

    8. Re:I feel so much safer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which cats are most likely to attack a rat? Here's one, I think. I had a seal-point siamese who'd go after racoons, or any other critter he could find. And when I was growing up one of the neihbors had a siamese they kept on a light chain. He'd charge people as they walked by. Both had been neutered.

    9. Re:I feel so much safer by Black+Acid · · Score: 1

      Although the Hanta virus is quite rare as the article you linked to pointed out, it is still possible to get. In fact, my science teacher once contracted the disease from dried mouse urine.

  2. Im just glad were getting something out of this by BigBigBlake · · Score: 0

    'nuff said.

  3. This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bubonic Plague is a concern because of bioterrorism, but imagine if they can do the same decoding of the AIDS virus, how much that would help come up with a vaccination for AIDS and slowing down its damage in the human body...

    1. Re:This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by nexex · · Score: 1

      The Bubonic plague is a bacteria, wouldn't decoding a virus be a lot different from a bacteria? A bacterium has many cells, while a virus is basically DNA inside carrier matter. A lot of viruses can go through a piece of glass, while bacteria can't usually penetrate a piece of paper. I would think that this good for anti-biotics of the future, but I for one hate to hear from the Doc when you get Strep Throat, "It's a virus, there's not much we can do besides normal sore throat medicine" ...Of course, I could way off, I'm not a biologist :)

      --
      Winter 2010: With Glowing Hearts
    2. Re:This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A "bacterium" has many cells? You really are a fucking moron, aren't you?

    3. Re:This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I kinda laughed at the part with "a virus can go through glass".

      woof.

    4. Re:This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by koekepeer · · Score: 2, Informative

      First, some corrections. Bacteria are unicellular. Not "many cells" as you state. Even if they would consist of many cells, the genome would be the same for every cell , so there's no difference in complexity in that respect. And btw, I would love to see a virus that can go through glass. I don't know who told you that, but I wouldn't trust that person anymore when it comes to biology-related subjects ;-)

      Once you have isolated the DNA (you know the stuff that carries the genome), the decoding principle is the same. Since a virus is less complex than a bacterium, it's probably easier to isolate DNA from virii. Furthermore a virus generally contains a much shorter genome than a bacterium.

      Although I don't have any hands-on experience with virii, I can hardly imagine that sequencing the genome of a virus is more difficult than sequencing the genome of a bacterium.

      Regards,

      Meneer de Koekepeer

    5. Re:This will go a long way towards vaccinations... by eWulf · · Score: 1

      I can hardly imagine that sequencing the genome of a virus is more difficult than sequencing the genome of a bacterium

      For info, it depends on the type of virus. Some viruses use RNA instead of DNA as Genetic material, some have single stranded DNA as opposed double stranded.

      Perhaps the greatest difficulty is in growing enough of the stuff in the first place as most viruses are VERY difficult to grow in-vitro because by nature they are tuned to live in their host organism. This is particularly important for something like Yersinia as you are going to find it difficult to find volunteers for in-vivo cultivation!! In addition, the genome of a virus is often very tightly bound to the viral proteins, making it difficult to purify.

      --
      "If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?" - Will Rogers
  4. what do you get... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    when you feed the squirrels at the grand canyon?

    yersinia pestis

    mmm, my favorite

    decameron anyone?

    1. Re:what do you get... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll meet your Decameron and raise you a Seventh Seal!

  5. I can see it coming... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Satan will sue these scientists under the DMCA for having cracked the protection of his copyrighted microscopic pupil. Will Congress learn to weigh all sides of an issue before passing random laws?

    1. Re:I can see it coming... by cgleba · · Score: 1

      LOL. . .better watch out. . .satan will then sue you for talking about circumventing under the DMCA :)

    2. Re:I can see it coming... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mr. Bin and his terrorists might do a copy cat on this dicovery as a biological weapon. He'll have to get a whole lot of fleas, rats and other furry rodents.

      Oh wait. We can have him & his terrorists group sue under DMCA for copying the gene sequence. ;)

  6. Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by Ron+Bennett · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sounds like a great advance, but sadly I fear such information will also be used by some to develop even more deadly biological weapons.

    1. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by Katan · · Score: 2, Informative
      Well, if the fear is biological weapons, then I don't think its much of a worry about what "new" weapons they'll come up with.


      Smallpox for example, would spread like crazy since we don't have a vaccine for it anymore.


      A single spec of Anthrax will kill you... I don't think you can get much more deadly.

      --
      K
    2. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by smack_attack · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm more afraid that the vaccine will cause problems too. Ever had a flu shot? They basically inject you with a weakened strain of the virus in order to make you immune, imagine if they inject people with something that isn't weak enough (I've gotten VERY bad flu "symptoms" from getting a flu shot).

      With something of this scope I'd rather take my chances without it. Personally if I found out that I had contracted some infectious disease as a result of bio-terrorism, I would be on the next flight to Pakistan trying to cross into Afghanistan so I could personally infect some of those idiots.

    3. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by TroyFoley · · Score: 1

      True. We must use our powers for good, not evil

      --
      After I have received the wisdom of good teaching, I will untiringly teach all people. - The Teachings of Buddha
    4. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by leucadiadude · · Score: 3, Troll

      Smallpox won't "spread like crazy" because you need to be within close proximity to an infected person. Once it becomes known that there is a major smallpox outbreak, you can be sure people will severely limit their interpersonal contacts. And there is indeed a smallpox vaccine. See this article.

      An excerpt:
      "The possible use of smallpox virus as a weapon by terrorists has stimulated growing international concern and led to a recent review by the World Health Organization of the global availability of smallpox vaccine. This review found approximately 60 million doses worldwide, with little current vaccine manufacture, although limited vaccine seed remains available (1). Ongoing discussions in the United States suggest that the national stockpile should contain at least 40 million doses to be held in reserve for emergency use, including in case of a terrorist release of smallpox virus (O'Toole, this issue, pp. 540-6).

      The current U.S. stockpile contains approximately 15.4 million doses of vaccinia vaccine (Dryvax) made from the New York City Board of Health strain of vaccinia and was produced by Wyeth Laboratories in 13 separate lots. The vaccine is lyophylized in glass vials with rubber stoppers and sealed with a metal band. When rehydrated, each vial contains 100 doses and has a potency of at least 108 plaque-forming units (pfu)/ml. Some vials of the vaccine stockpile have shown elevated moisture levels and thus failed routine quality control testing; however, the vaccine in these vials remains potent, and the failed lots have not been discarded.
      "

    5. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by UserChrisCanter4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Let's consider something for the time being here: Most of slashdot is people in computing-related fields. We know computing. Most of us don't know much beyond the few college-level bio courses... this isn't our area of expertise.

      For a moment, let's just replace the words, 'publishing bubonic plague genome information' with "releasing source code for the 2.4 Kernel". Are we all of a sudden afraid that the script kiddies are going to root our box, or do we realize that the release of such information will allow the many skilled programmers of the Linux world to make fine adjustments to the security features of Linux?

      I'm talking out of my ass for this last bit here, but I'd have to figure that it takes a significantly skilled person to engineer a more dangerous strain of a given bacteria. I would also have to figure that the thousands of other people with roughly the same skill level could probably come up with a vaccine in a shorter time period. If I wanted something super-destructive, I'd probably stick with a nuke. They're a lot cheaper, and no one's come up with a personal nuke/radiation proof shield that can be injected into a toddler.

    6. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by thrig · · Score: 2

      CCHF is well ahead of you in that department...

      Your comment violated the postercomment compression filter. Comment aborted

    7. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if i wanted something super-destructive,

      i'd be using winbloz, with scandisk.

    8. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by sam_handelman · · Score: 1

      And there is indeed a smallpox vaccine.

      If you want a really good treatment of this question (offline,) I strongly suggest Laurie Garrett's not-so-new-anymore book "Betrayal of Trust". Do your part to help the economy recover and BUY it at amazon.

      Anyway, Laurie is not so confident in the efficacy of our smallpox vaccine stock as the CDC. Believe whom you will.

      --
      The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
    9. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by matrix29 · · Score: 1

      Might want to note how the antibiotic for smallpox was found. Milkmaids that survived chicken pox were mostly immune to smallpox. Check the history books.

      If you had chicken pox as a kid there's a fairly decent chance you'd survive small pox.

      Life - Nobody finishes it alive.

      --
      "Face it, a nation that maintains a 72% approval rating on George W. Bush is a nation with a very loose grip on reality.
    10. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by 3waygeek · · Score: 1

      Close; the disease you're referring to is cowpox -- it's called that because one gets it from close contact with cows. Milkmaids, naturally, spend a lot of time with cows, hence they get cowpox, and develop resistance or immunity to smallpox. Edward Jenner noticed that correlation, extracted some fluid from cowpox blisters, and used it to make his vaccine. See this link for more info.

      BTW, the word vaccine comes from vacca, the Latin word for cow.

    11. Re:Technology is a Double Edged Sword... by Puk · · Score: 2

      This is a good point, but not an a perfect analogy (of course, nothing is a perfect analogy, or it would be the same thing :).

      When we release the linux source, we're pretty sure that it's secure enough that no one can write a piece of code to permanently destroy all the hardware in any running linux box in a short period of time.

      We (or at least, I) have no such confidence in genomes. Genome mapping is not fast, and just having a genome at this point doesn't necessarily give you a cure. (See: AIDS). Perhaps by the time scientists can effectively re-enginner a virus, they will be able to use that same genome to engineer a cure/vaccine. I don't know.

      But in the in-between time, someone could (theoretically) create a virus that killed enough people and spread fast enough to wipe essentially everyone out before a cure was found. I'm not sure whether our immune systems or the variations with people would always be enough to stop it.

      Mind you, I'm against this sort of activity (mapping the genomes of diseases). Right now I see more good coming of it than harm. But in the long run, I haven't really decided what I think yet -- I have no idea what the chances of each side cutting are.

      -Puk

  7. Wasteful by talonyx · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Who the hell cares about the bubonic plague? We dealt with that shit back in the 1200's. There are more important diseases these scientists should have been studying, like AIDS and cancers.

    1. Re:Wasteful by OmegaDan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ummm, I care. They find squirrels carrying the disease all the time in southern california.

    2. Re:Wasteful by dadragon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      One word. Bioterrorism. Actuall, two words: Biowarfare.

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
    3. Re:Wasteful by Alien54 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      It killed 200 million people in the 14th century and continues to kill about 3,000 people each year according to the World Health Organization. Some experts are newly worried that the bug could be used as a bio-weapon in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

      Which is why you worry. People playing with bio engineering could come up with a new version that could be very nasty.

      --
      "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
    4. Re:Wasteful by MyMarty · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, aside from the arguments above regarding bioterrorism, warfare and squirrels there is also the argument that medical science should endeavour to raise the quality of life for ALL people (not just middle-class white Americans). Bubonic plague is still deadly, and can still be found in the unhygenic squalor of many a shanty-town in third and second world countries.

    5. Re:Wasteful by quannump · · Score: 2, Informative

      bubonic plague killed 34 in Los Angeles in 1924. That's not recent, but more recent then 1200's

      --

    6. Re:Wasteful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      In which case, an antidote for the stuff that is around now is effective for a modified version in which way?

    7. Re:Wasteful by A+Tin+of+Fish+Steaks · · Score: 1
      People playing with bio engineering could come up with a new version that could be very nasty.

      Why worry about people bio-engineering nastier versions when the ones that already exist (of this and other diseases with the potential to be bio-weapons) are already quite nasty enough?

      We're understandably hearing a lot of talk about diseases being used as weapons of terror. Fortunately, such attacks would require considerably more expertise than merely knowing how to fly a crop duster. While it is something to take very seriously, I'm still more concerned about hijackers. Why should terrorists trouble themselves with biological weapons when they can wreak such mayhem with box cutters?

    8. Re:Wasteful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      ...can still be found in the unhygenic squalor of many a shanty-town in third and second world countries.


      So, let's get away from third and second world countries shanty-towns. Who wants to go there anyhow?

    9. Re:Wasteful by A+Tin+of+Fish+Steaks · · Score: 2, Funny
      Bubonic plague is still deadly, and can still be found in the unhygenic squalor of many a shanty-town in third and second world countries.

      It can still be found in the unhygenic squalor of Colorado. In fact, the strain analyzed by the researchers in this study came from the United States in 1992.

      I'm afraid I can't attest from first hand knowledge whether or not Colorado Springs qualifies as a shanty-town.

    10. Re:Wasteful by MyMarty · · Score: 1

      I watch South Park. I know what goes on down there... Colorado Springs can't be too different.

    11. Re:Wasteful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aside from the bioterrorism aspect, I read somewhere actually that people in certain parts of Eastern Europe were slightly immune to AIDS because they had developed immunities to the plague centuries before..

    12. Re:Wasteful by koekepeer · · Score: 1

      not sure whether you're trolling, or not. if so: very smart!

      if not: think twice. there's two aspects to this story.

      1. genomics - to understand pathogens such as Y. pestis, genomics is a very powerful tool. One can ask questions such as: what make Y.pestis different form a relatively harmless bacteria, and start to explain (perhaps previously unknown) how Y. pestis is able to infect its host (human). this is very valuable information, and could provide clues to fight other pathogenic bacteria as well.

      2. ethics. diseases may be banned in the "civilised" western world, but this might not be true for other, less "developed" regions in the world. i'm not stating this is true for bubonic plague (don't know and don't feel like looking it up ;-) ). this is certainly true for other diseases --> they are mostly a third world problem.

      [slightly offtopic rant]
      don't get me started on aids, the only reason so much money is thrown at aids research, is that it affects our "civilised society" so much. aids doesn't discriminate and is hard to eliminate. if it would've been a problem confined to 3rd world countries, no pharmaceutical (or governmental) funding would be available, it's not an attractive market since they can't afford your medicine.
      [/slightly offtopic rant]


      Meneer de Koekepeer

      Ha! Flamebait? Insightful? Troll? Figure it out ;-)

    13. Re:Wasteful by koekepeer · · Score: 1

      [quote]
      to raise the quality of life for ALL people (not just middle-class white Americans)
      [/quote]

      Indeed. You are so right, MyMarty. It can't be repeated enough! Tel them brother, tell them!

      Meneer de Koekepeer

      Aiming for (Score: -1 Flamebait)

    14. Re:Wasteful by drsoran · · Score: 2

      While it is something to take very seriously, I'm still more concerned about hijackers. Why should terrorists trouble themselves with biological weapons when they can wreak such mayhem with box cutters?

      I'm not concerned at all anymore with hijackings. In fact, I would reasonably argue that we're not going to have another hijacking for a long time now. Why? Because the hijackers now know that the procedures have changed. Pilots aren't going to be cooperative anymore. Passengers aren't going to sit back and let them control the situation. It is practically impossible to get a bomb or gun on an aircraft these days. That means the only thing you may face is a knife they someone got through security. Unless these guys are Bruce Lee, 60 people on an airplane can easily overpower a group of 4 or 5 hijackers as long as they maintain in their mind that there is no way a gun or bomb could be on the plane.

      Anyway, the point is, the suicide hijackers are probably planning something else at this point (bioterrorism, chemical weapons, truck bombs, etc.) and the non-suicidal hijackers are not stupid enough to hijack a plane at this point when they KNOW that everyone is going to assume the plane will be used as a weapon and will not cooperate with them. That's all the hijackers used to have going for them and these terrorists blew it for them.. literally.

    15. Re:Wasteful by eWulf · · Score: 1

      Why worry about people bio-engineering nastier versions when the ones that already exist (of this and other diseases with the potential to be bio-weapons) are already quite nasty enough?


      Not quite nasty enough. Mostly, the viruses that are most infectious are very labile (ie they die very soon in the open air). In addition the viruses which are most deadly are not so infectious. What you really want is a combination of a virus that can live in air for a couple of days, is fiercely infectious, takes a couple of weeks to display symptoms, and then kills within hours of symptoms being displayed.

      --
      "If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?" - Will Rogers
  8. Re:It's not fair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, most people of european descent are relatively resistant to the disease. Comes from being descended from those who lived through it when 1/3 of Europe died. Of course, as your post indicates, some of us have descended farther than others...

  9. Great! by Kasreyn · · Score: 1

    Does this mean I won't lose 1 life point every time they hit me?

    Oh wait, this isn't the Diablo forum!

    -Kasreyn

    --
    Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger /. flamers since 1999.
    1. Re:Great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where are those trenches?!

  10. Terrorism is good for gene research by sting3r · · Score: 2, Offtopic
    It's nice to see so many genome-related research projects receive renewed interest and attention after the terrorist attacks.

    Although the citizens of the U.S. will probably suffer an unspeakable loss of civil liberties and privacy, we will probably reap many benefits from the medical research that was spurred.

    -sting3r

    1. Re:Terrorism is good for gene research by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its a free mason plot to take over the world and control and monitor everyone

  11. Well, finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And it only took them about 700 years too!

    1. Re:Well, finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You're not funny at all.

  12. stupid question by RelliK · · Score: 1

    I thought that there is already a cure for plage? I know it was a big problem back in middle ages, but does anyone still get sick with it?
    Sorry for stupid question. Please enlighten me.

    --
    ___
    If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
    1. Re:stupid question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but I believe that normal anit-boitics take care of it. Every so often, they find a groun-hog in south western Colorado with the disease.

      But, I have a hypothesis to explain it. See, Colorado is undergoing rapid (rabid may be more exact) urban development. I think that developers infect a population of grounf hogs, and report that plauge is running amok, to incite the public to hate ground hogs. See, houses are less likely to have the plauge, so naturally, people want houses next door, instead of a harmless ground-hog family. Win win for the people, lose everything for the groundhogs and the species that depend on their existance (Hawks, Eagles, Ferrets, etc etc.).

    2. Re:stupid question by leucadiadude · · Score: 2

      The obvious answer to your hypothesis is where these evil developers managed to get hold of a viable supply Yersinia pestis bacteria. Not something you can obtain at Home Depot or Lowes hardware.

    3. Re:stupid question by supersnail · · Score: 1

      Yep, its the humble oxytetracycline antibiotic (usually prescribed for step throat and othe rmonir infections).

      I know this because every few years my wife gets an urge to see the Taj Mahal by moonlight.

      This trip has been cancelled many times because of political urest, war, famine, and one year bubonic plague -- which was not such a big deal but we were advised not to travel if you were pregnant or likely to be pregnant as oxytetracacline has adverse effects on the developing feotus.

      --
      Old COBOL programmers never die. They just code in C.
    4. Re:stupid question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Yes there is a cure... heavy antibiotics can cure plague.

      By the way, there's a theory that Black Death was actually caused by something more similar to ebola. Check this out:

      http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/02/health/anatomy /0 2PLAG.html

    5. Re:stupid question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but on the other hand, it is fairly easy to walk into CMB at C.U or the MicroBiology building at Colorado State and obtain them. When I got my first degree at C.S.U. (microbio), it was easy to obtain virulant bugs. I'm not certain that at this moment it is easy, but I am sure that it is still do-able. However, I sincery doubt that the plague infections of prarie dog's colonies are due to contractors as plague has been here long before we were. The real problem is that we have killed many of the animals that keep prarie dogs in check. Rattle Snakes are one of the biggest yet we do our best to either kill them or transport them to the farmers field. Like wise, Owls, Eagles, Hawks, Mountain Lions have all been run out of denver area and somewhat out of front range. Interesting enough, the p.d's (and cats/small dogs/rabbits) may still be feeding the coyotes and keeping them around the denver region.

      Also, seeing as how you are from Colorado, The plague unit of CDC is actually up in Ft. Collins. Getting in there is another problem.

  13. Black Death by Digitalia · · Score: 3, Funny

    Rest asssured, lowly peasants. Your fair and benevolent rulers have presented you with the ultimate cure for the vile scourge known as the black death. This, a lowly bar of soap, shall be your floral scented cure! Fear not any longer.

    --
    Pax Digitalia
    1. Re:Black Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You're not funny at all.

      This line added to satisfy the postercomment compression filter!

  14. curiosity killed the vet by layingMantis · · Score: 0, Troll

    "In their study, published in the Oct. 4 issue of Nature, the researchers mapped a strain of plague that killed a veterinarian in the United States in 1992. He contracted the disease after an infected cat sneezed on him."

    If you mess around with some bad pussy you get burned.

    1. Re:curiosity killed the vet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You're not funny at all.

      This line added to satisfy the postercomment compression filter.

    2. Re:curiosity killed the vet by Digitalia · · Score: 0, Troll

      Your mother.

      --
      Pax Digitalia
    3. Re:curiosity killed the vet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mr. Anonymous Coward: The fine folks of Slashdot have given us the power to post anonymously. So, if you choose to post as an AC, at least use your license to be insensitive, controversial, or outrageously stupid, like the rest of us. Your comment here was boring. Perhaps you could go fuck yourself for a while and then get back to us. (that's how it's done)

    4. Re:curiosity killed the vet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You misspelt controversial.

    5. Re:curiosity killed the vet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      can i get some of that rock?

      controversial (kntr-vûrshl, -s-l)
      adj.
      Of, producing, or marked by controversy: a controversial movie; a controversial stand on human rights.
      Fond of controversy; disputatious.

  15. Read the article. by leucadiadude · · Score: 1

    It actually answers your questions.

  16. Bubonic Plague? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny


    Oh come on...why do medical-science-type people have to muck about,
    wasting their time with old,
    uncommon illnesses like Bubonic Plague.

    I'd bet the number of BP cases are probably 50000 worldwide every year. maybe less.

    HSV2 -- why dont they decode _that_ genome and get cracking on something to help with that.

    I'm getting tired of all these damn blisters! :)

  17. "You're the disease. I'm the cure" by mangu · · Score: 1

    Have you seen the movie "Cobra", with Sylvester Stallone? That's one (or should I say "the") memorable quote from that film.

  18. To clarify a couple points by alewando · · Score: 5, Insightful
    1. Antibiotics help a lot with treating bubonic plague, but they're only effective if the disease is first properly diagnosed. Because people are no longer used to contracting fatal diseases (which bubonic plague always is if left untreated), and because the symptoms are not all that different from symptoms of diseases people are used to shrugging off, the disease is often not diagnosed in time.
    2. Releasing the genome to the general public will help vaccination discoveries far more than it will help people who would use the plague for biological warfare. Frankly, you don't have to know the genetic sequence that underlies the organism in order to culture it and construct a suitable delivery device. In contrast, the benefits due to a vaccine discovery are obvious and numerous.
    3. A couple people do die of the bubonic plague every year, mostly in Asia and Africa. In addition to the importance of antibiotic treatment and a vaccine discovery, the importance of improving hygiene standards cannot be understated. It's a three-part chain involving rodents, fleas, and humans, so if you eliminate human contact with both, then you've effectively cut humans out of the loop and eliminated human infections.
    1. Re:To clarify a couple points by Metallic+Mongoose · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Because people are no longer used to contracting fatal diseases (which bubonic plague always is if left untreated"
      ----------------
      Actually, it isn't.

      The most virulent & deadly version of plague (pneumatic) has a mortality rate of aprox. 90% if left untreated...

      ...if (untreated) bubonic plague had a 100% mortality rate, european history would look very diffrent.

    2. Re:To clarify a couple points by dragons_flight · · Score: 2

      ...fatal diseases (which bubonic plague always is if left untreated)...

      Just a minor nitpick.

      "Without prompt antibiotic treatment, plague is fatal in 50 percent to 90 percent of cases.

      Even with appropriate antibiotics and hospital care, about 15 percent of plague patients in the United States die. Pneumonic plague is the most rapidly fatal form of plague, and most victims will die if they do not receive antibiotics within the first 18 hours after symptoms begin."
      -Source

      It's not totally fatal, though those that survive often have permanent scaring. After all some infected people managed to live through it even back in the European dark ages. Of course it's more than bad enough that I wouldn't ever want to encounter it.

    3. Re:To clarify a couple points by da5idnetlimit.com · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "the symptoms are not all that different from symptoms of diseases people are used to "

      => So the solution would be to use directly DNA Analysis, or an automated Marker Machine, so as to check immediatly the DNA Strain and treat it with proper care.
      Could also be used to be sure that the medicine we told you to take are effective against your own specific flue strain (that from somebody wo never cached the mainstream disease and ended up with an inneficient generic treatment)

      Only problem is that automated DNA Analysers are WAY out of budget for 99.999 Hospitals.

      But a part of the future lies there...

      "It's a three-part chain involving rodents, fleas, and humans" => I never understood the need for fleas, before somebody told me abour food chain. Right now, I still don't find a need for Mosquitoes (bloody bastards 8| ).

      --
      It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
    4. Re:To clarify a couple points by GooberToo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Few and far between is text that shows many that survived daily exposure ate two or more raw cloves of garlic daily. The stink surely was enough to ward off vampires and plague alike. Although it is unknown how common this practice was, we are only now starting to understand that eating raw garlic does, in fact, increase the body's ability to respond to invasion by disease.

      Oddly enough, there are also biblical accounts of people eating a cousin of garlic (sorry, don't remember the odd-ball name) which was said to also ward of disease. Go figure...

    5. Re:To clarify a couple points by hey · · Score: 1

      Does that mean the modern day people of Europe are immune? After all their ancestors lived thru the Plague. Or -perhaps- less likely to get it. That would include many people in the New World also.

    6. Re:To clarify a couple points by sam_handelman · · Score: 1
      Only problem is that automated DNA Analysers are WAY out of budget for 99.999 Hospitals. But a part of the future lies there...

      Actually, present techniques are more sensitive than a DNA screen. Read about them at the cdc.

      Basically, its easier to detect the bacteria themselves than to do a screen on their DNA.

      --
      The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
    7. Re:To clarify a couple points by aulendil · · Score: 1

      In short, yes, less likely to get it. From the top of my head, the pestilence-resistance gene is most common in northern europe, scandinavia, where 1 in 20 is supposed to have it, most common it is in Finland, where 1 out of 10 has it (the finns are renowned for their small deviation in their genome).

      A bit of trivia, the gene responsible for this also seems to make you less inclined being infected by HIV.

    8. Re:To clarify a couple points by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The article said most of the current cases are in Africa and Asia (not Europe and North America). Of course, poverty must be a factor.

    9. Re:To clarify a couple points by michael_cain · · Score: 2

      A couple of people per year die of plague here in Colorado. The disease is fairly common in the prairie dog population, and fleas can transmit it either directly to people, or to pet cats and dogs who then pass it along. In one recent case a man contracted the disease after being bit by a sick cat. It is not uncommon to find signs around prairie dog colonies in urban areas, posted by state health officials, warning of plague.

  19. Can you imagine.... by psykocrime · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    A Beowulf cluster of these?

    LKJJL:JJLJJLKLJKLJ LAMENESS FILTER BLAH BLAH *(*&*&*(

    --
    // TODO: Insert Cool Sig
  20. scary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the black death mixed with goatsex, natalie pornman and hot grits.

    it's what's for dinner!

  21. make that "a couple thousand people do die" by alewando · · Score: 1

    Worldwide. In the US, it's more like "a couple", since it's mostly confined to people like veterinarians, who have a lot more contact with sick animals than does the rest of the population.

  22. Genomes and Vaccines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tools of the Trade
    Gloves: provide protection to the both the top and bottom. Surface abrasion in the walls of the large intestines are an ordinary occurrence even in normal conditions. For the top, minor paper cuts, scratches and sores on the hands can be protected with the use of gloves. For most situations, the standard disposable examination glove is sufficient. The longer calving gloves should be used if the top has cuts or scratches above the glove line. When choosing between vinyl and latex, the preference is for latex.

    Lubricants: one of the most popular still remains regular CRISCO from Procter and Gamble. Water based lubricants rarely provide the lubrication necessary for fisting. Whatever lubricant is being used, seperate containers should be used for each person. This can be done by transferring lubricant from a freshly opened container to individual containers for each of the play participants.

    Covers: for beds or floors, underpads or "chucks" are good. These pads have plastic on one side and are absorbant on the other. There are also rubberized play sheets available. Rolls of paper towels should be nearby.

    Slings: made from leather, plastic webbing or canvas, a sling is normally supsended from the ceiling or from high on walls with metal chains.

    Preparation
    One thing to keep in mine is your diet. Before a session, foods like fruits, vegetable and whole grains are best while red meat and fatty foods should be avoided. During this period, avoid eating nuts as well as poppy, sesame and other seeds (19 to 36 hours before). The final 18 hours should see little consumed. What you do eat should digest slowly such as dairy products and eggs. Vitamins should be a part of your diet to ensure proper strength and nutrition is maintained. To aid in flushing your system, a hot drink about 15 mintues prior will help.

    It goes without saying that an enema should be done before engaging in activity to rid the system of any remaining residue in your intestines. Allow about two hours between your final enema and the beginning of play.

    Shaving: If the hair around your butt is long, you may want to shave it as it may otherwises get pulled when a hand is inserted.

    Positions: Many bottoms perfer a sling when available. Another position condusive to fisting activity are doggie style, belly down and butt up. This position also provides the least bending of the rectum and often permits easier depth.

    Entry: This is usually a slow process. Start your entry with the fingers straight and the thumb tucked under. The fingers may slowly wiggle to aid in entry, gently massaging the sides of the anus. As the bottom relaxes, the fingers may be broaden. Avoid sudden moves or jerks as this will cause the bottom to tighten up. Always make sure that there is plenty of lubricant in front of you, on your hand and on your wrist. For the bottom, deep breathing is a big help and as he exhales, the top will have an easier time for entry. Once inside, rest a few seconds until the bottom's body has had a chance to adjust. A gentle in-and-out motion without pulling out of the cavity will usually help the bottom build confidence. From this point, be creative and take your cues from the bottom as you subtly change speed, twist and explore deeper. Lengthy repetition of the same movement at the same spot will likely make the bottom sore.

  23. A good book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This reminds me of Connie Willis' "The Boomsday Book". It's not as apocaliptic as it sounds, but it is very scary anyway. If you don't know what the big deal is the black death, read this book.

  24. It wasn't meant to be funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That was an "insightful" post, ashole!

    1. Re:It wasn't meant to be funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      It was neither.

      And log in if you're karma whoring. Dumbass.

  25. biowarfare vaccinations? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    in all the talk flying about concerning biowarfare, I've seen several mentions of vaccinations, and how although useful, they would be hard to administer to large groups in a hurry.

    is it possible to get vaccinations now? if so, who the hell do you as for something that weird?

  26. So now we'll have new variants... by TWX_the_Linux_Zealot · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...Like Blue Death, Green Death, White Death, Fuscia Death...

    Infectious Disease Variants! Collect the WHOLE set!

    --

    IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
    And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
    1. Re:So now we'll have new variants... by PD · · Score: 2

      How about plaid death. Die from multiple infections of the plague, and get buried in an ugly suit. Very undignified.

    2. Re:So now we'll have new variants... by SlamMan · · Score: 1

      And it'll come packaged with each new iMac you buy

      --
      Mod point free since 2001
    3. Re:So now we'll have new variants... by Pxtl · · Score: 2

      Or possibly the White Plague. Wow, that works on so many levels if you've read Frank Herbert.

      The white plague - Top-notch genetic researcher loses his family in IRA bombing, goes insane, sells his house and everything he owns for a quarter million in lab equipment. Spends the next two years unraveling genetic code and designs himself the White Plague, his way of getting even. He unleashes the plague in Ireland and a handful of other places, then threatens to spread it to other nations if they try to interfere.

      The white plague was a genetically tailored disease that killed only women, while men remained carriers to spread the disease. Thus our protagonist would get his revenge by making the nation of Ireland feel the same loss he did.

      In the 70's, when this was written, it was sci-fi. Gene-tech was (pun intended) still in its embryonic phases. A first-year bio student can read the book and find that all the info in there that was cutting edge at the time of writing are now old hat. So, where are we headed?

  27. no worries if you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    stop fucking squirrels

    dumbass

  28. genome posted by Rinikusu · · Score: 0, Troll

    Microsoft has posted the genome of the Black Plague here, confirming the "viral" nature of the GPL. FSF responded by pointing out that the Black Death was actually a bacterium. Isaac Hayes suggested that a reconstructed Black Plague would produce this.

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  29. And also... by hhe_hee · · Score: 1

    This can now (maybe soon) also lead to even better biological weapons that can kill much more than the 200 millions that the plauge killed. Now scientists will be able to modify it and cause it to lead to even worser diseases.

    --
    2 reptiles beneath your current threshold.
  30. Cracked? by Dolly_Llama · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It was cracked? Does that mean the genome was running IIS?

    --

    Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -- Carl Sagan

    1. Re:Cracked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, no funny was found. Moron.

    2. Re:Cracked? by allanj · · Score: 1

      Of course not - it's a bacteria, not a virus

      From what I've heard, IIS can only be infected with viruses (or is that virii in plural?).
      By the way, IIS stands for Internet Infection Server :-)

      --
      Black holes are where God divided by zero
    3. Re:Cracked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check the battery in your "Fun-O-Meter" then.

    4. Re:Cracked? by Dolly_Llama · · Score: 1

      I'm no expert in this topic, but I've always wondered if what we consider a virus is the vector or the infected cell itself. The answer is that it's the vector, because it could theoretically infect all sorts of types of cells and still be the same "thing", but still..its kind of an interesting chicken and egg problem.

      --

      Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -- Carl Sagan

  31. Cats rule by DEATH+AND+HATRED · · Score: 1, Interesting

    During the christian, err I mean dark ages, people killed cats because they thought they were witches. The rodent population ran out of control, causing the black plauge problem. 1/3 of Europe was wiped out. The moral of the story. Cats rule, dogs drool.

    1. Re:Cats rule by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing pleases Death like a good religious brainstorm.

  32. Vaccine pricing by Trollificus · · Score: 0, Insightful
    "This will now (hopefully soon) lead to vaccinations and treatments for the disease it causes."

    Sure, but we both know that the people who will never see this vaccine are the people who need it the most.
    No doubt, there will be patents involved. The first thing they will patent is the Genome itself. So, only one major company will be able to make these vaccines. And the result will be prices that only the wealthiest will be able to afford.

    Another good idea down the shitter.

    --

    "People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets."
    - Gov. Jesse Ventura

  33. Re:It's not fair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
    (metamod)The above post is yet another reason why it is worth your while to browse at 0 or lower.(/metamod)

    But then again, if you can read this, you already knew that.

  34. All in the timing. by Chairboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great! This is excellent! This is something that could have been great about 400 YEARS AGO!

    Grr!

    What they REALLY need to decode is whatever virus it is that prompts record executives to pull together a group of 4-5 teenage boys and turn them into a 'boy band'. Cure THAT virus, and the world will thank you.

    1. Re:All in the timing. by Sheldon_Brown · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      What they REALLY need to decode is whatever virus it is that prompts record executives to pull together a group of 4-5 teenage boys and turn them into a 'boy band'. Cure THAT virus, and the world will thank you.

      You know what else would be great? A cure for malaria, the disease responsible for half of the world's deaths.

      No wonder everyone hates Americans.

      --
      "A coward is incapable of causing destruction; it is the prerogative of the brave" - Mahatma Ghandi
    2. Re:All in the timing. by ajna · · Score: 1

      I know you're trying to be funny, but haven't you read "The Plague" by Albert Camus? You don't think it is plausible that the plague could resurface?

    3. Re:All in the timing. by matrix29 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      The Catholic Church was all for teenage boy bands.

      They called them choirs and the singers were eunuchs or castrati (no testicles for you!) Because the boys never got the puberty boost of testosterone their larynxes never dropped and their voices stayed sweet and girl-like.

      We probably should be calling N*SYNC - N*NUTS
      (They would have had to have this done before they hit puberty of course.)
      http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/naples/Castra ti.html
      http://www.cix.co.uk/~velluti/cast.htm
      http://wa.essortment.com/castratihistory_rzna.htm

      --
      "Face it, a nation that maintains a 72% approval rating on George W. Bush is a nation with a very loose grip on reality.
    4. Re:All in the timing. by Quikah · · Score: 2

      Wow, everyone hates Americans because we like to make jokes in poor taste? Wow, thanks for the tip, I will let all the comedians know right away.

      --
      Q.
    5. Re:All in the timing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You know what else would be great? A cure for malaria, the disease responsible for half of the world's deaths.

      I'll get right on it. I'm sorry, I let that disease get a little out of hand. Apologies to everyone. yells into phone: Bio-tech support desk! Please describe your biological problem to the stupid American responsible for it and he'll get right the fuck on it!

      Man. What the fuck is up with people these days?

    6. Re:All in the timing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know what else would be great? If all the world lived in candyland and never got sick after
      eating candy forever.

      No wonder everyone hates Americans.

    7. Re:All in the timing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What ? People hate you ?

  35. vaccine availability by leucadiadude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Smallpox:
    CDC is the only source of vaccinia vaccine and VIG for civilians. CDC will provide vaccinia vaccine to protect laboratory and other health-care personnel whose occupations place them at risk for exposure to vaccinia and other closely related Orthopoxviruses, including vaccinia recombinants. Vaccine should be administered under the supervision of a physician selected by the institution. Vaccine will be shipped to the responsible physician. Requests for vaccine and VIG, including the reason for the request, should be referred to

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Drug Services, National Center for Infectious Diseases
    Mailstop D-09
    Atlanta, GA 30333
    Telephone: (404) 639-3670
    Facsimile: (404) 639-3717


    Plague:
    Plague vaccine is available in the United States from Greer Labs. Plague vaccine USP is manufactured by Greer Laboratories, Inc., P.O. Box 800, Lenoir, NC, 28645-0800, telephone (800)438-0088 or (704)754-5327. The vaccine is shipped refrigerated in 20ml vials and should be stored at 2-8 degrees C (35-46 degrees F). It should not be frozen. The following groups of people should consider vaccination:

    Persons working with the plague bacterium in the laboratory or in the field. Persons working in plague-affected areas or with potentially infected animals where they have little control over their environments, particularly in developing countries.


    I don't know where you might find tularemia vaccine or some of the other lesser known organisms.

  36. One down, two to go? by destiney · · Score: 1


    So then the cures for cancer and aids should be just around the corner right?

    1. Re:One down, two to go? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bah, Government mapped out the AIDS genome a long time ago. :-)

    2. Re:One down, two to go? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Bad news: we haven't isolated any bacterium or virus that causes cancer, and there probably isn't one. Cancer seems to be a mutation in a cell that interferes with control of division. You almost need nanotech to do better than killing the affected cells and hoping the patient survives the process.

      AIDS doesn't get enough priority, because too many people regard life without sex as somehow worthwhile.

  37. Excellent! by stevarooski · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bubonic plague is nasty, nasty stuff. . .I've read a lot about the various fun ways it can kill you through history books. For those who have no idea of what it did to Europe, read a good summary of the Black Death here.

    Also, before people go off on biological weapons, etc, consider that there have been several recent breakouts of this disease, particularly in the southwest US(where I'm from). Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out this as an example. I remember reading in the paper in AZ about outbreaks occasionally and shuddering. A cure would be a godsend--even though there are only about 10-15 cases in the US a year, its a painful way to go.

    --

    - - - - - - - -
    Don't worry, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep in a giant blender.
    1. Re:Excellent! by PieceMaker · · Score: 2, Funny

      I've read a lot about the various fun ways it can kill you through history books.

      Best to stay away from those history books then!

      :)

  38. MOD PARENT UP!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    im cummmminnngggggg

    Your comment violated the postercomment compression filter. Comment aborted
    You are not logged in. You can login now using the convenient form below, or Create an Account. Posts without proper registration are posted as Anonymous Cowa

  39. second and third worlds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so you're saying that northern california,
    northwest new mexico, northeast arizona, southwest colorado and southeast utah are equivalent to second and third world countries?

    well, i can't argue with you there, buddy.

    the 5 corners of squalor.

  40. Is it getting open sourced? by Nindalf · · Score: 1

    They'll never get out the exploits like vaccines and cures if they try to develop it in a closed development group. There are many skilled reverse-engineers in biology. Security through obscurity never works.

    Open Source Black Death!

    1. Re:Is it getting open sourced? by Lars+Arvestad · · Score: 2
      I actually cannot tell if you are joking or not, but the genome is made publicly available. In fact, that is usually required for the work to be published. Furthermore, the Wellcome trust which is funding this work supports "open source science".

      From their press-release: "Details of the sequencing are posted on the internet so the information is freely available to researchers around the world."

      --
      Reality or nothing.
  41. Don't you watch the documentaries? by sharkey · · Score: 1

    The cure is simple: DON'T SAY THE WORD "SHIT" SO MUCH.

    It is a curse word, as overuse of it brings about the curse of the Black Death. Also avoid other curse words such as "fuck" and "mekrob".

    --

    --
    "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  42. now only if they can find and fix bad teeth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    and sin too, wait.....that can't be found in science.....only religion ;) [ie God]

  43. not so useless by davereed · · Score: 1

    i guess all those CPU cycles i contributed are showing some positive results! i didn't get much from SETI...

    --
    The proper answer to "Why do I need to know this?" is always, "Because."
  44. food chain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    cats make good dog food

    dogs make good mexican food

    mexicans make good chinese food

    don't eat chinese food or chinese people and you should be safe.

    no, wait, don't eat mexican food or mexican people and you should be safe.

    ah shit i lost the thread, just eat chiles and drink beer and you should be safe.

    except for that mexican/chinese sunburn.

  45. Question.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder what the long-term impact of modern medicine is going to have on the future? I mean, we come up with cures for sickness and disease, thats great... But don't these things exist by nature for a reason? Natural population control perhaps? They obviously serve a purpose, so I guess I'm just speaking philosophically here.. I can't imagine having the ability to cure these diseases, but not putting it to use, wouldn't make much sense. But do you know what I'm trying to say?

  46. you mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    insipid shit isn't the greater /. community?

  47. Plague and a little childs song - OT by deadmantalking · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Just rememebered that as a child i used to sing
    "ring-a-ring-a roses,
    pocket full of posies,
    husha busha,
    all fall down"
    and never really understood what it was all about. then i found out that it was referring to the black plague epidemic of London when about a third(?) of the population was wiped out and people actually dropped dead on the streets...

    --
    A crank is a little thing that makes revolutions
    1. Re:Plague and a little childs song - OT by canadian_right · · Score: 1
      "ring aroud the rosies,
      pocket full of posies,
      ashes, ashes,
      all fall down."

      The ashes are of witches burned at the stake. Another wonderful children's rhyme. Or so I thought (read it somewhere), but these people think its a much later little poem that was created due to a ban on dancing:
      the best written article on ring-aroud-the-rosie
      more Ring-a-round the rosie info
      more rosie info

      --
      Anarchists never rule
    2. Re:Plague and a little childs song - OT by TomV · · Score: 1
      The version commonly extant in the UK when I was of an age for nursery rhymes (late 1960s, early 1970s) runs/ran as follows:


      Ring a ring of roses

      (refers to characteristic circular pattern of skin lesions in Plague sufferers)

      A pocket full of posies

      (posies - bunches of flowers, used both as a purported means of staving off infection, and to cover the appalling smell arising from the buboes, although how one could detect it over the appalling smell of the middle ages...)

      Atishoo, atishoo

      (onomatopaeic reference to sneezing, symptomatic of plague)

      We all fall down

      (obvious really)


      I've never heard the 'Ashes' variant before - is that standard in the US? Has anyone in the UK ever heard it?


      Now, I'm not saying it's definitely a plague reference, but rightly or wrongly we were taught in school that it was exactly that, and indeed that most nursery rhymes contained historical messages (other examples including The Grand Old Duke Of York (a dig at the future James II's supposed military incompetence during the Civil War) and Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie (basically a tabloid-style 'expose' of George, 2nd Duke Of Buckingham, or possibly George the Prince Regent, later king George IV of England))


      TomV

    3. Re:Plague and a little childs song - OT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in the US, we are taught that it is ashes, ashes. I never quite figured it out before, but now it makes sense (on that line, I knew the rest).

    4. Re:Plague and a little childs song - OT by |_uke · · Score: 1

      "ring aroud the rosies,
      pocket full of posies,
      ashes, ashes,
      we all fall down."

      Perhaps its a us varient... but this is the version I used to sing as a child (I am only 20... so that was not TOO long ago hehehe)

      Of course, one can not expect something like a rhyme to stay fully in tact accross such a large span of time and distance.

      Of course, we also sang:
      "The london bridge is falling down... falling down.. falling down.. the london bridge is falling down, my dear lady" (or was it 'fair lady'? Its been a while I don't remember. )

      Although... I really do not remember where that rhyme came from (although I have a feeling it has something to do with a london bridge? hehehe)

      --
      Luke
  48. A couple questions by Z4rd0Z · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Since the article mentions there is already a vaccine for this, why is there talk that this could be used to create a vaccine? Why would we need another?

    The scientists were saying they knew that the bacteria modified itself and they even knew that it did it 1500 years ago. How do they know that? Would anyone with some knowledge of this care to speculate?

    --
    You had me at "dicks fuck assholes".
    1. Re:A couple questions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Since the article mentions there is already a vaccine for this, why is there talk that this could be used to create a vaccine? Why would we need another?

      The current vaccine is not 100% effective.

    2. Re:A couple questions by Lars+Arvestad · · Score: 3
      Since the article mentions there is already a vaccine for this, why is there talk that this could be used to create a vaccine? Why would we need another?

      The press release from the Sanger Center actually says that they have a vaccine undergoing trials and that the sequencing efforts from this project helped the research for the vaccine. You don't need a full genome to do sequence analysis. Indeed, if you have some idea for what you are looking for, you can find fairly efficiently. The scientists were saying they knew that the bacteria modified itself and they even knew that it did it 1500 years ago. How do they know that? Would anyone with some knowledge of this care to speculate?

      Here is a speculation, because I have not read the actual Nature paper: They recognize some genomic material in the bacteria coming from some other bacteria. By analysing the amount of mutations in the incorporated material, they can get an estimate of how long ago it was incorporated.

      Speculation 2: They computed evolutionary tree for different strains of plague bacteria and its relatives based on some genomic region with nice properties. This tree could give you estimates for when the strains started to deviate. Then, by studying for what bacteria the new modified material is common, you can decide the earliest point of inclusion.

      --
      Reality or nothing.
  49. Not Funny At All by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sure it was.

    1. Re:Not Funny At All by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      just don't drop the soap when Genitalia is in there.

  50. No, thanks by jaysones · · Score: 1

    If it doesn't come in an easy to use powder, then I'm just too busy for it. I'll learn to live with my plague until it fits my hectic lifestyle.

  51. You know you read trolls too much... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You know you read trolls too much when you see that as 'penis bacteria'

    1. Re:You know you read trolls too much... by leucadiadude · · Score: 1

      LOL!

      I hear you. :)

  52. Could be Useful..... by Veritan+Drelor · · Score: 1

    A few years ago, there was a resurgence in the number of cases of tuberculosis, which was supposed to have been pretty well eliminated in the Western world. The basic cause of this increase was the presence of a population of immune-compromised individuals - AIDS patients.

    I'm not suggesting that we're likely to see a similar resurgence of bubonic plague; the mechanism of transmission is very different. My point is that conditions at some point in the future could allow a plague outbreak to occur.

    Could an antibiotic resistant variant of bubonic plague appear? Could enviromental conditions increase the number of plague carrying rodents? The list goes on. While this research might not be a priority, it's certainly worthwhile.

    Per Ardua Ad Astra

    1. Re:Could be Useful..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i don't need the plaugue to kill you.

      -wheel of karma

  53. Re:Let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dude, I'm the original "Let me get this straight..." troll, and while I appreciate your assistance in getting this message out to the masses (I _do_ have to sleep, after all -- and getting my IP banned for 72 hours isn't helping me get my message out either), but I have to tell you -- my troll is a _tad_ more subtle than your offshoot. You will notice your attempts, while entertaining, do not result in a massive outcry of threads resulting from morons who feel the need to tell us to "get over with it" and "get on with life".

    Thank you for your support, however. Perhaps we should coordinate our posting times so we can get the most bang for our buck here, and avoid duplicating efforts. ;-)

  54. Another Great Topic! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The bubonic plauge is a disease, it kills people.

    it once killed a lot of people about ten thousand years ago.

    the plauge is a virus, viri have cells, cells have DNA

    a medical research lab cracked the genome of the DNA

    " Genome " is a biotech buzzword.

    " Black Death " sounds scary, but also, Monty Python made a lot of joke about it because of all those people that died.

    Geeks like buzzwords

    Geeks like Monty Python

    Black Death is scary

    these are the only reasons i can see that we are trying to whore karma for a topic that does not bear much discussion after having been read.

    1. Re:Another Great Topic! by ethan_clark · · Score: 1

      The black plague is a bacteria, not a virus, therefore it does contain DNA.

    2. Re:Another Great Topic! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Umm. AFAIK bacteria have DNA.

      However, they are NOT multicellular.

      The main differences between virii and bacteria are that bacteria have fully functional cellular structures, whereas viruses just have "trojan" code which they insert into the host cell.

  55. black plague may have been caused by a virus... by Syre · · Score: 1
    This article in the New York Times discusses the possibility that the black plage was caused by an ebola-like virus:

    "In "Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historic Populations," published in March, the authors argue that a hemorrhagic virus, like Ebola, probably caused the Black Death and most of the smaller epidemics that struck Europe for the next three centuries, not bubonic plague. The authors, Dr. Susan Scott, a demographer, and Dr. Christopher J. Duncan, a zoologist, say their theory answers many lingering questions about the rapid spread and virulence of the Black Death."

    The Yersinia pestis work is of course still very interesting and important, but I think the virus theory makes more sense... check it out!

    1. Re:black plague may have been caused by a virus... by Syre · · Score: 1

      Sorry... the actual link to the NY Times article "New Theories Link Black Death to Ebola-Like Virus" is here

  56. Karma-whoring: Some info links by Lars+Arvestad · · Score: 5, Informative
    Instead of reading fluffy sources such as Wired and Yahoo!, why don't you check out some real informational sites? This can be seen as blatant karma-whoring, but I would really appreciate if submitters of science stories dug out links like these before posting. Gives much better credibility, IMHO.
    --
    Reality or nothing.
    1. Re:Karma-whoring: Some info links by krmt · · Score: 2

      Karma whoring or not, I appreciate it quite a bit. Anyone who actually has some interest in actually looking at what the cracked genome actually entails wants this sort of info. Thanks for the links!

      --

      "I may not have morals, but I have standards."

  57. Rats and fleas not to blame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    This article in the Sydney Morning Herald suggests rats and fleas may not be to blame for the spread of the plague.

  58. Not far from AIDS by manon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is geat news, but scientists also dicovered something else. In the years when the plague was still making thousands die in Europe, some people develloped an immunity, based on their genes. Call it a mutation.
    Now the chances are VERY big that this same immunity is causing some people that are HIV possitive never to get AIDS.
    Now we can only hope that the two discoveries can work together in ending both AIDS and the plague.

    --
    42 + 1 = 42
    1. Re:Not far from AIDS by manon · · Score: 2, Informative
      --
      42 + 1 = 42
    2. Re:Not far from AIDS by koekepeer · · Score: 3, Informative

      Interesting observations, but how sure are we that the "Black Death" is caused by Y. pestis, and not by a viral agent (as pointed out in a previous post)? Without that presumption, the whole argument of Y. pestis, and HIV using the same cells to attack the host (human macrophages) is invalid.

      But let's stay positive and hope this little far-fetched theory turns out to be true. Tell me, how are you going to cure AIDS with it? Targeted gene replacement of CCR5 in macrophages? That's SciFi, and won't happen in the next 10 yrs IM-not-so-HO. Also, it's not very cost-effective: it only works as a defence when you get infected by someone in the earlier stages of HIV infection, so the use is to limited. Plus, I don't see how the genome of Y.pestis would help to understand the HIV-macrophage virus-host interaction better, but maybe I'm prejudiced towards the use of genomics. I wouldn't bet my money on this being the cure for aids.

      Okay let's stop here. I've lost the average /. user already, so there's no karma in this one, unless the moderator is a molecular biologist or something ;-)

      Regards,

      Meneer de Koekepeer

  59. Umm by nexex · · Score: 1

    Viri do not have cells, they only carry DNA, they have to take over your cells to reproduce...

    --
    Winter 2010: With Glowing Hearts
  60. A cure for the plague by gimmie_prozac · · Score: 2, Funny

    scientists have decoded the genome of the bubonic plague bacterium. This will now (hopefully soon) lead to vaccinations and treatments for the disease it causes." Great! Now I can finally get rid of that bird mask, holy relic, and incense burner I'd been keeping around in case the Black Death returned...

  61. karma whoring? what a fine idea. by motherhead · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Yeah i am bored and read these, and you can too.

  62. Re:hey.. by scottgfx · · Score: 1

    I'm a cop you idiot!

    --
    It's mandatory to wash your hands before returning to the land of Dairy Queen.
  63. Score 2: Funnny -- WTF !?! by koekepeer · · Score: 1

    wish i could meta-moderate this one. that was NOT funny!

    Meneer de Koekepeer

  64. From the article: by PD · · Score: 5, Funny

    In their study, published in the Oct. 4 issue of Nature, the researchers mapped a strain of plague that killed a veterinarian in the United States in 1992. He contracted the disease after an infected cat sneezed on him.

    Oh my god I would hate to die that way. Please just let me drown or get consumed by rats. Anything, but please don't let them print an obituary about me that admits that I was killed by a sneezing cat.

    1. Re:From the article: by Grayswan · · Score: 1

      It sounds like you've got the dreaded AiluroSnesenNecrophobia. Fear of death by sneezing cat.

      In a perfect world, intelligent life doesn't evolve

      --
      If you open your mind too wide, people will throw trash in it.
  65. Really an urban legend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, that is a common belief. However, it's just an urban legend that that rhyme has anything to do with the plague.

  66. Ugh. by CdotZinger · · Score: 1


    http://www.snopes2.com/language/literary/rosie.h tm

    lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter lameness filter

    --
    Your mouth is like Columbus Day.
  67. More info by Faux_Pseudo · · Score: 2

    By chance my Black Death World Tour T-Shirt from NortherSun.com arived today. Its a fun shirt with the years it spread across Europe on it and on the back it has a list of cities it "toured".

    Also some of you RPG or SCI-FI lovers should check out the series called Amber for another story of the black death.

    SS

    1. Re:More info by IronChef · · Score: 1


      Amber rules! My favorite fantasy series of all time. Fantasy, sci-fi... it blurs the line.

  68. vaccine already by Beckman · · Score: 1
    There's already a vaccine for bubonic plague bacterium, but the vaccine doesn't work for BW strain plague.


    Doesn't having the genome also mean that genetic modifications are also easier? So for every vaccine, a new strain can be developed to defeat such vaccine....

    1. Re:vaccine already by alen · · Score: 1

      I got my bubonic plauge vaccine in the us army. It's 3 shots over 18 months. It was a special memory among my other 2 pages of vaccines and shots that I got. But I feel fine.

  69. gene treatment by Beckman · · Score: 1
    I was just thinking....

    Now that genetic engineering and gene treatment has come to it's current state would it be possible to create virus, that doesn't cause disease, but instead injects the host with replacement DNA and is contagious? I thought I read that virii were used to help transfer DNA to gene therapy patients. If a virus, such as chicken pox could be used as a carrier, then one could consider tampering with the DNA of any one who caught the virus.

    Something like this could be used either as a bioweapon, or as a technique to mass distribute say a vaccine. So rather than having to distribute injections of vaccine for Anthrax (6 injections over 100 weeks), some theraputic virus could be created to modify the populations DNA to protect against Anthrax.

    1. Re:gene treatment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This isn't the first time I've heard of this idea... and it's a pretty good one.

      I see one flaw: Mutation

      See, a 'disease' like this would be one people wouln't WANT to cure... it's effects are benificial. Until it mutates into something nasty.

      Then you've got a disease you don't want to cure that does [insert nasty side effect here].

      It may be possible to time-bomb something like this... after some number of generations, the gene-therapy-virus-thingy stops reproducing: no more worries about mutation.

      I'm no biologist (coder), so take all this with a big, fat, hairy grain of salt.

      --Mark

  70. Further Correction... by Talisman · · Score: 4, Informative

    "The most virulent & deadly version of plague (pneumatic)..."

    Actually, there were three types:

    Bubonic (lymph nodes)
    Pneumonic (lungs)
    Septicemic (blood)

    The deadliest was Septicemic, killing 100% of the people that contracted it. However, there had to be a very specific set of circumstances (temerature, etc.) for a person to get this type.

    Just FYI, Pneumonic killed about 90% of the people that got it and Bubonic killed about 75%.

    --

    "Study your math, kids. Key to the universe." -The Archangel Gabriel
  71. The Moral of the Story by funky49 · · Score: 1

    In their study, published in the Oct. 4 issue of Nature, the researchers mapped a strain of plague that killed a veterinarian in the United States in 1992. He contracted the disease after an infected cat sneezed on him.

    Don't let cats sneeze on you!!

    =steve

    --
    --- rapper/producer/bachelorette party stripper
  72. Vectors by leucadiadude · · Score: 2

    Neither.

    A vector is the thing that moves the infectious agent (bacterium or virus) to a new host. Unless you want to count the bloodstream or lymph or other internal body systems as a "vector" for infection spread within the body. But vector really refers to movements of agents between hosts.

    "Host" makes it sound so ambivalent eh? I guess it's a nicer than saying poor doomed bastard(s).

  73. If only they could do this work on computers.. by sporty · · Score: 1
    Imagine if they did this type of stuff on software. Keep generating blue screens, develop an antibiotic software that will predict the behavior and fix it regardless of the software.


    -s

    --

    -
    ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only

  74. timely... by enrico_suave · · Score: 2

    This seems like it's oh... a couple of centuries late (give or take) =P

    "Bring out ya dead..."

    E.

    --
    Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
  75. Re:Terrorism research has opportunity cost by sam_handelman · · Score: 1

    Well, it hasn't been good for gene research here in Manhattan. All my colleagues still look like they've been shot in the gut. Seriously. I don't really feel like going to work myself.

    What do you think is the limiting ingredient in molec. bio. research? It isn't money - I hate to admit it, but we have plenty. It's competent and capable people who are interested in the field. Eight years down the line we might see more people entering this field particularly because of an interest in bioterrorism (although, if they work for the US government I worry about how much of what they do will really be "defensive".) I think it's more likely that it will draw our best and brightest into the military, intelligence, etc. Sure, we'll refocus our efforts to some extent on molec. bio. that is applicable in anti-bioterrorism, but that comes at an opportunity cost. Do you think that this knowledge is really of more benefit to mankind than plant genetics? AIDS or cancer research? Would it be of more benefit if there were no lunatics with anthrax bombs? I really don't see a silver lining to this.

    --
    The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
  76. endemic in Colorado and California rodents by peter303 · · Score: 2

    They are frequent plague outbreaks in Colorado prarie dogs, California rats and rabbits. One suspected case earlier this year turned out to be another kind of pneumonia. The victim had lived next to an infected prarie dog population. In California they close the San Jacinto parks now and then because of rodent plague.

  77. bsod? by SaturnTim · · Score: 1

    Now if they could only cure the Blue Scren of Death...

    --T

    --
    http://www.theMediaBunker.com
  78. new plague in Afganistan by peter303 · · Score: 2

    A "bleeding plague" is torturing Afganistan refugees today. Three years of drought, twenty years of civil war, and the anticpiated US retailer have caused dreadful living conditions.

    1. Re:new plague in Afganistan by pubudu · · Score: 1
      Three years of drought, twenty years of civil war, and the anticpiated US retailer have caused dreadful living conditions.

      Does everything get blamed on America's globalization policies? I know the spread of Wal*Mart breaks apart traditional small-town living, but really now.

      --
      ~~~~~~

      under-paid karma whore

  79. The Plague! by sauronDLM · · Score: 1

    I immediataely thought of the backwards episode of Seinfeld where George (and Jerry I think) went to the apartment of Elaine's friend's fiancee's parents and they asked if she was going to India where the marriage cermenony was supposed to be. When she said yes they said they would never go to back to India because it is really dirty. Then they said, "India still has the plague. In this day and age, can you imagine" or something to that effect.

    And then they recommended that they dont use the toilets while there.

  80. Now for how they test. by satsuke · · Score: 1

    Only problem with developing a vacceen for this is how the hell do you test it.

    Animal testing occurs all the time .. but still .. infecting an animal with this stuff begs the question of if we want it to get out.

  81. About damned time! by supabeast! · · Score: 2

    /sarcasm ON!

    The plague has been causing problems for mankind since the middle ages! Damned high time they finally dealt with it! Of course, if it took them this long to deal with the plague, I don't expect to see any cures for these modern diseases any time soon! Damned doctors cost too much anyway...

  82. Grand Forks, ND by forest_rock · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A friend of mine has been doing research at UND, Grand Forks. Most of the bug's DNA has been decoded for a long time. They've been cloning and disabling black death for years in their labs. Recently (this past summer), they engineered a mutant hybrid which isn't dangerous to humans. With the complete genome, they should be able to do really fun stuff with it.

  83. Hardware by wwelch · · Score: 1

    After some searching, I finally found some of the Sanger Center's hardware specs (by clicking on the Compaq Nonstop link at the bottom of the main page).

    Basically, they used a boat load of Alpha's (R.I.P.) -- EV5's, EV56's and EV6's --, 48 Pentium Linux machines, and some more from SGI and Sun.

    Here's a link to the slide.

  84. Discover had an article about Plague this month.. by sid_vicious · · Score: 2

    .. but unfortunately, it's not up on their website yet -- I just got the issue yesterday.

    Apparently, the Soviets developed a strain that is resistant to antibiotics before the bio-weapons military program was shut down in the early 90s.

    They worry about plauge over there the way our guys worry about anthrax over here.

    BTW, they mentioned in the article that in addition to small-to-moderate sized outbreaks in third world countries, we receive a couple of cases of plague here in the U.S., mostly in the Southeast where people are infected by bites from prairie dog fleas. The plague bug lives quite happily amongst the prairie dogs -- it's only an unfortunate turn in natural selection that made it infect humans (remember, the number rule for a parasite is *DON'T KILL THE HOST*).

    --
    If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
  85. So how about a cure for... by Halloween+Jack · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    ...the Blue Screen of Death?



    Oh, wait... got it already.

    --
    I looked into the abyss, and the abyss looked into me--and we both winked.
  86. Yet another reason to use KDE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yep, You'll never read about Black Death's KDE being cracked because those guys are much better coders.

  87. Hacking Virii/Bacterium? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What would the world be like if all the computer hackers quit hacking computer systems and started trying to hack the genetic code for dangerous bacterium/virii? I'd imagine the planet would be a healthier place or a more danergerous one.

    1. Re:Hacking Virii/Bacterium? by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 2

      I am the Lord thy Language God, who hath delivered thee out of the land of bad spelling, and this I say unto thee:

      Thou shalt speak of one "bacterium" and many "bacteria."

      Thou shalt speak of one "virus" and many "viruses."

      Thou shalt not speak of many "bacterium," and neither shalt thou speak of "virii" ever again in My hearing; for "bacterium" is singular, and "virii" is not a word, and is an abomination in My ears.

      Honor these laws which I have given thee, that thy days be long and thy communications be clear.

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
  88. Plague? by Fifty+Squid · · Score: 0


    I heard there's like 11 cases reported in America a year...

    That's not a plague.

    So what do they call it on a small scale?

    The Bubon?

  89. For the paranoid folks in the audience... by sterno · · Score: 1

    Okay so the government and the general population has been very concerned about the possibility of biological or chemical attacks in the near future. Then suddenly, at a REALLY convenient time, they managed to unlock the genetic code of Bubonic Plauge. A couple possibile conspiracies come out of this:

    1) They have announced this discovery as a means of alleviating some concern in the public over bio-warfare. See, we can beat bio-terrorism, don't worry, go out and keep buying things.

    2) They have announced this discovery as a means of disrupting already in the works terrorist plans. Oh damn, our neat little apocalyptic bio-weapon may be completely useless. Time to go back to blowing up buildings I guess.

    One would probably be the more likely of these two choices given that the time to develop something useful from the reverse-engineered genetic material would be quite a long time.

    --
    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
  90. Also "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman by Lyka · · Score: 2

    For those who don't scorn the dead-tree format,
    this classic has a largish chapter devoted to
    the Black Death and its effects upon medieval
    society and thinking. An Amazon link:

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034534957 1/ qid=1002208191/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/103-6350268-028 3007\

  91. Which Yahoo News did that come from? by hAkron · · Score: 1

    Yahoo! or Yahoo Serious?

  92. Bubonic to Pneumonic by AKAJack · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As I remember it the biggest problem with the "Black Plague" of the middle ages was that Bubonic plague can become Pneumonic (of the lungs) plague and then humans can infect other humans by coughing/sneezing and *that* is the reason for the wide spread of the disease. It was not necessarily because everyone had a house full of flea infested rats.

    Hygine does play an obvious and important factor in all of this as bathing was seen as something to avoid in order to stay healthy.

    Feel free to correct me as needed.

  93. Think of the possibilities! by plopez · · Score: 2

    You could probably use the information to create a nifty biological weapon!

    (Yes! I am being a cynic)

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  94. Folding Protiens by t0qer · · Score: 1

    This will now (hopefully soon) lead to vaccinations and treatments for the disease it causes."

    Actually its going to be a LONG time before anything usefull comes from this research. Gene's have nothing to do with diesese, it's the folding protiens derived from those genes that can make you sick, or cure a diesese.

    --toq

    1. Re:Folding Protiens by sigwinch · · Score: 2
      Actually its going to be a LONG time before anything usefull comes from this research. Gene's have nothing to do with diesese, it's the folding protiens derived from those genes that can make you sick, or cure a diesese.
      Not entirely true. You can still remove genes, or swap them from related species, and see how lethal the new organism is in an animal host. This lets you create inert organisms for immunization, and focuses the protein structure work on the most important proteins.
      --

      --
      Kuro5hin.org: where the good times never end. ;-)

  95. Decoded? by jcr · · Score: 2

    In what sense is the genome "decoded"?

    I though that gene sequencing is just a matter of *transcribing* the sequence, and that at that point you still have a lot of work to do to figure out what gene does what with what protein.

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  96. "Boy Band" virus by pythorlh · · Score: 1

    That virus is called "Young Girls." Get rid of it, and nobody would buy the the boy band cds. Of course, the "Young Boys" virus would then have a lot less fun... ;)

    --
    Do not confuse duty with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different.Duty is a debt you owe to yourself.
  97. Interesting by Skip666Kent · · Score: 2

    In your version, with the "ah-choo" sneeze reference, the rhyme make good sense as a silly bit of play in which all are overcome by their own sneezing/allergies to the rosies and posies to the point at which they fall down (giggling of course, only to get up and do it again).

    I could honestly see it either way. I must admit that when I read the Bubonic Plague reference, it rang as highly plausible as a sort of darkly humorous play that might have evolved in the aftermath of the plague.

    The 'debunkings' I've read at Snopes and elsewhere aren't tremendously convincing to me despite the extremely self-confident tone in which they are written. In the end, though, I'd go with the allergy/sneezing/fall down idea.

    --
    **>>BELCH
  98. AIDS? by Catch22RG · · Score: 2

    I find this interesting because the bubonic plague infects the human body by the same means as HIV (by attaching to a receptor on the cell membrane, which is normally responsible for inflammation around cuts/etc.) Perhaps this discovery will be beneficial to AIDS patients.

    On a side note, natural selection has made many people of European descent are resistant to HIV. A small percentage are actually entirely immune.

  99. Funnier than you are... by TWX_the_Linux_Zealot · · Score: 2

    Funnier than most of your posts...

    "Eat a Dead Gay Baby for Jesus!"

    --

    IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
    And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
  100. Re:Technology is..(Holy shit) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That (4/10/01) date is today. not April 10th. (Just for fellow Americans who put the month first)

    This is major news but I don't see it on CNN's webpage. Lots of fluffy stuff about George "God Blessing" America. God isn't gonna save anyone. Logic, and clear thinking might make a difference.

    On a related note, the first place I saw those
    GBA signs were on gas stations here in Central Illinois, that raised the gas prices to 4 dollars a gallon on 9/11.

  101. Great, a genome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Knowing the genome is good and fine. You have to know what the end products are. These proteins are the bits which actually do the dirty work around your body. It isn't as easy as looking at the genome and "reading" a list of things that are produced. Proteins are folded and changed as they are produced. If this didn't happen most would be non-functional. Again, this is like having a dictionary but really being interested in what a page from War and Peace looks like.

  102. A vaccine _is_ available by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A vaccine has been available for "plague" (Yersinia pestis) since the nineteenth century http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041 848.htm

    ...it is not thought to be 100% effective though.

  103. Re:All in the timing. GOD WILL NOT LIKE THIS! by Sleepy · · Score: 2

    For "cracking" my IP, these people are in violation of the DMCA.

    This is God's lawyer.

  104. Re: I'd just like to reiterate... by ToyKeeper · · Score: 2

    ... the bubonic plague happened hundreds of years ago, when everyone grew boobs on their necks.

    Hence the name "bubonic".

  105. genome decoded != magic by DrProton · · Score: 1

    scientists have decoded the genome of the bubonic plague bacterium. This will now (hopefully soon) lead to vaccinations and treatments for the disease it causes.


    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this one of the big fallacies of genetic research, oft propagated by gullible journalists, i.e. the implicit assumption that now that we have "decoded" the genetic makeup of some disease organism we are able to effect a cure? Isn't it also true that knowing which gene in the human body is responsible for a particular illness/condition does not necessarily mean we can cure the condition? As an example, we've known the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis for 20 some years, yet there is no cure.

    --
    "Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens." - Schiller
  106. If Only... by Mignon · · Score: 2

    Now if only they could crack the genome of the Blue (Screen of) Death.

  107. Gene functions by Black+Acid · · Score: 2, Informative
    See Y. Pestis Functional Classification - it has a list of what all the genes in the Bubonic Plague bacterium do. Very heavy stuff..here's a short excerpt:

    1 Small molecule metabolism

    • 1.A Degradation [18]
      • 1.A.1 Carbon compounds [66]
      • 1.A.2 Amino acids [23]
    • 1.B Energy metabolism
      • 1.B.1 Glycolysis [12]
      • 1.B.10 Glyoxylate bypass [3]
      • 1.B.2 Pyruvate dehydrogenase [4]
      • 1.B.3 Tricarboxylic acid cycle [15]
      • 1.B.5 Pentose phosphate pathway [3]
      • 1.B.5.a Oxidative branch
      • 1.B.5.b Non-oxidative branch [4]
    • 1.B.6 Entner-Doudoroff pathway [2]
    If you're a biologist or just curious you should definitely check this out. I wish I had this kind of info when I did a report on the Black Plague in High School!
  108. Extract DNA in Your Kitchen by Black+Acid · · Score: 1
    Once you have isolated the DNA (you know the stuff that carries the genome), the decoding principle is the same. Since a virus is less complex than a bacterium, it's probably easier to isolate DNA from virii. Furthermore a virus generally contains a much shorter genome than a bacterium.
    Actually, extracting DNA from bacteria isn't all the difficult. In fact, in my science class today we extracted DNA from mushrooms. Here's how it's done, roughly:
    • The mushroom is put in a blender with concentrated salt water. This spreads apart the cells, and breaks some of their cell walls.
    • The resulting liquid is mixed with meat tenderizer, and more importantly pineapple juice with papaya fruit. Mix for at least five minutes. The fruit contains enzymes which break up the cell walls.
    • A teaspoon of isopropyl alcohol is mixed and the solution is slowly stirred.
    • Bubbles should surface - these are attached to the strands of DNA! Note, however, that DNA is transparent and colorless.

    A similar procedure is used to extract DNA in a scientific lab. Interesting stuff.

  109. Re: I'd just like to reiterate... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hooooo boy yer reaching there...

  110. Re:Let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Dude, I'm the original "Let me get this straight..." troll,

    Man, I'm like, sooo sorry. But I guess someone has to be as lame as you are.

    (I _do_ have to sleep, after all

    I've heard pulling your crank until it bleeds will keep you awake and interested in your surroundings. You should try.

    but I have to tell you -- my troll is a _tad_ more subtle than your offshoot.

    There is nothing subtle about a troll. Please, PLEASE do not get confused or misled into thinking that you're somehow clever or interesting. There is no fundamental difference, from the reader's perspective, between a goddamn idiot who doesn't know what he's talking about, and a troll looking for a reader's goat. We cannot tell.

    Since you act like a fuckwit moron, we're going to assume you are a fuckwit moron, even if you come back later and say "oh, that was just a troll." Sorry, but we can see that you're trying to get your foot in your mouth and your head in your ass all at once. That gyration has gotten you twisted into a pretzel, and no amount of pretense will disguise that you look like a fool. NO ONE but you and your asshole little friends imagine that you are displaying some sort of intellectual supremacy by posting nonsense.

  111. Cracking dna by 6odm · · Score: 1

    Is Cracking dna like reverse-engineering dna? What DMCA say about that?