Recently, a deer was found to be infected in Yellowstone National Park in the United StatesHighly contagious prions, sparking concerns among scientists about possible infections in humans. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus causes weight loss, falls and neurological symptoms in deer, known as "zombie deer disease." This disease is fatal to animals, and there is currently no method or vaccine.
What isPrions
Prions, also known as prions, protein infectious factors, virulences, or infectious proteins, are a class of hydrophobic proteins that can infect animals and are non-immune in host cells. Prions are not strictly viruses, but are infectious agents that do not contain nucleic acids but are composed only of proteins. Prions are the causative agent of infectious spongiform encephalopathy in animals and humans. Pritch in sheep, discovered as early as the 15th century, is caused by prions, and in 1986 in the United Kingdom, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as "mad cow disease", is also a prion. It can replicate itself within the host and cause disease to occur. While prions primarily infect animals, there are also some studies that suggest that they may pose a threat to humans. For example, mad cow disease, as of November 22, 2023, there are 179 recorded cases in our country.
Why is the U.S. constantly discovering new viruses?
The United States has more than 200 biological laboratories around the world, and has formed the largest number of "biological laboratory networks" covering key regions around the world, among which many secret laboratories are engaged in the research of dangerous pathogens. In the name of cooperation to reduce biosecurity risks and strengthen global public health, the United States has controlled a total of 336 biological laboratories in 30 countries around the world.
More than 200 overseas biological laboratories have been set up in 25 countries and regions, including Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Soviet Union, some of which have been located in areas where large-scale infectious diseases have erupted. In addition, the United States has established biological laboratories in South Korea, Georgia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The United States has so many biological laboratories and has world-leading technology and equipment for studying viruses, which makes the United States a major center for virus research. However, this also increases the risk of virus leakage, which can lead to the emergence or spread of new viruses.
In addition, after Japan's surrender in 1945, the United States used the following in order to obtain data on Unit 731's bacteriological experiments and human experimentsExempt members of Unit 731 from war liabilityIn exchange, the members of Unit 731 were forced to cooperate with US military intelligence officers to explain the details of the bacteriological experiments, and obtained a large number of Japanese experimental results from the materials provided by them.
In the future, if bacteria invade, how can we prevent it?
1.Establish a sound early warning system: provide timely and accurate information for preventive measures by strengthening intelligence collection and analysis to detect and assess the threat of possible bacterial invasion in a timely manner.
2.Strengthen the construction of public health systems: Establish a sound public health system, including disease surveillance, prevention and control systems, and improve the country's ability to respond to public health events.
3.Raise awareness of personal protection: educate the public about the basic knowledge and protection methods of bacterial invasion, and improve personal protection awareness and ability. For example, maintain personal hygiene, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, etc.
4.Restricting the movement of people: When necessary, take measures to limit the movement of people to avoid the spread and spread of the epidemic. For example, measures such as imposing travel bans, closing borders, etc.
5.Implement strict epidemic prevention measures: Once the epidemic is discovered, strict epidemic prevention measures will be taken immediately, including isolation, disinfection, etc., to prevent the spread and spread of the epidemic.
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