• Question: what is the most dangerous biological threat to humans?

    Asked by Cubey123 to Eleni, Hannah, Jenny, Oli, Steven on 11 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Eleni Vikeli

      Eleni Vikeli answered on 11 Nov 2016:

      Hi Cubey123,

      I believe one of the most dangerours ones is Anthrax.
      Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which causes anthrax, is one of the most deadly agents to be used as a biological weapon.
      As reported, Anthrax has been used as a bio-weapon for about a century mixed with powders, sprays, food and water. The invisible, infectious, odourless and tasteless spores make Anthrax a flexible bio-weapon. Letters containing powdered anthrax spores were intentionally mailed through the US postal system in 2001 affecting 22 people of which five died.

      It is amazing to think that these tiny things can cause the death of million people considering their size!!! Most bacteria range from 0.2–2.0 µm (micrometers) in diameter, where 1 micrometer or micron is 1/1000000th of a meter!!!!
      Eleni

    • Photo: Oliver Charity

      Oliver Charity answered on 11 Nov 2016:

      Hi Cubey,

      I would say the most dangerous and real biological threat to humans is emerging antibioitic resistance. If we dont find new and better ways to treat bacterial infections this will make things like surgery much more difficult. Although surgeons are very careful people can die from surgical wound infection. It’s predicted that by 2050 50 million people will die every year from antibiotic resistant bacteria.

      The most intersting threat to humans is probably a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which produces ‘Botulinum toxin’ also known as Botox! This is the most powerful neurotoxin known to man, but also what people inject into their face to make their skin look tighter and more youthful. Seems crazy to me! Although rare, it can sometimes end up in food products, especially if you try to cure meat at home, and kills about 1 person a year.

      Oli

    • Photo: Hannah Bolt

      Hannah Bolt answered on 11 Nov 2016:

      Hi Cubey123,

      Definitely the most dangerous biological threat to humans at the moment is bacteria, fungi and parasites that are becoming resistant to the drugs we currently have. I’m sure you’ve heard of hospital super bugs that doctors struggle to treat with any of the drugs we have at the moment? Over years, these pathogens can evolve to be resistant to treatments in the clinic and this is a very worrying thing. Particularly because we are not discovering new antibiotics quick enough. As Oli says, this might mean that in the future, routine operations become dangerous because we wont be able to treat potential infections after surgery or illnesses that we treat easily at the moment.

      In my research, I am trying to make drugs that work in a very different way to traditional antibiotics, in the hope that bugs wont be able to develop resistance. Normal antibiotics interact with a process inside the bacteria, fungi or parasites (like cell wall synthesis). The drugs I make disrupt the cell membranes (for example by creating holes), and this causes the cells to leak and die. As my drugs target the cell membrane, it is very difficult for the bacteria to evolve to develop resistance.

      Hannah

    • Photo: Steven Street

      Steven Street answered on 13 Nov 2016:

      Hi Cubey123,

      I agree with Oliver and Hannah, antibiotic resistance is rapidly becoming a major threat to humans!

      As the others have said, it’s not just bacterial infections that you could die from. Things like organ transplants and cancer chemotherapy could be impossible without antibiotics to prevent infection.

      Overuse is one of the main sources of resistance, as many doctors give people antibiotics when they don’t need them… Finding new non-natural treatments could help solve this problem, as natural resistance mechanisms will likely not have evolved to combat them.

      One reason why we haven’t had any new antibiotic drugs for over 30+ years is because there was no financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop them. Quite simply, penicillin and co were so effective, there was no need for new drugs. This has changed now though, and there is again a financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop new treatments as existing ones are increasingly rendered useless.

      Whilst it might not be right that profit and healthcare are linked like this, sadly they are at present!

      Steve

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