A new strain of Salmonella has been introduced to many regions in Africa. This new virus is called Salmonella Typhimurium or ST313. This virus has built a block of genes that are immune to antibiotics and are multi-drug resistant, which makes the virus more difficult to destroy. The ST313 strain has become a life threatening invasive disease in Africa. The new strain has a high mortality rate; one out four people infected will die. The disease prefers to infect children and adults with immune problems such as anemia, malnutrition, or malaria (common throughout Africa). Two health facilities are studying the ST313 strain. Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme and the Kemri-Wellcome Trust Programme, have been studying the genetic changes that the virus undergoes. The strain of ST313 has evolve to be better suited in the host's body and the drugs which are taken to become well. Dr. Robert Kingsley from Sanger Institute says that the ST313 is "a new form of pathogen," which causes other diseases or illnesses to infect the host. The ST313 can also be passed from human to human and rapidly infect the the body.
A major concern for all mankind is the threat of bacteria and viruses becoming a plaque. It has happened before and it can happen again, but this time our drugs and antibiotics will be useless. The H1N1 and the ST313 are threatening people across the globe. The ST313 may become the virus which many scientist will begin to study more thoroughly. This new drug resistant virus is killing hundreds of people in Africa. The African societies are already fighting immune deficiency problems and with this new disease introduced to the populations the mortality rate will surely increase. More health care help must attend the suffering people in the African societies.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091130192919.htm
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