CNN wrote:WASHINGTON (AP) -- A mix of bacteria-killing viruses can be safely sprayed on cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year, federal health officials said Friday in granting the first-ever approval of viruses as a food additive.
The combination of six viruses is designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, including sliced ham and turkey, said John Vazzana, president and chief executive officer of manufacturer Intralytix Inc.
The special viruses, called bacteriophages, are meant to kill strains of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the Food and Drug Administration said in declaring it safe to use on ready-to-eat meats prior to their packaging.
The viruses are the first to win FDA approval for use as a food additive, said Andrew Zajac, of the regulatory agency's office of food additive safety.
The bacterium the viruses target can cause a serious infection called listeriosis, primarily in pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 500 die.
This scares me for the simple reason that it could cause people to get sick because of the viruses. That is, unless they make sure that the viruses arn't very harmfull. Yet, even with some harmless virus there is some risk to it due to the virus possibly mutating.
I suppose it would be easier to judge this if I knew just how many harmless bacteriophages were or could be in the body naturally. I also wonder what might happen to someone undergoing treatment with antibiotics. Without the normal means of propagation, and with a consistint intake of the virus from food, might that increase the risk of a virus infecting the body instead of the bacteria? Less tinfoil: there are symbiotic bacteria in the intestinal tract; how thoroughly does the bacteriophage "target" the dangerous bacterium in question?
Any job worth doing with a laser is worth doing with many, many lasers. -Khrima
There's just no arguing with some people once they've made their minds up about something, and I accept that. That's why I kill them. -Othar Avatar credit
Sun Wukung wrote:This scares me for the simple reason that it could cause people to get sick because of the viruses. That is, unless they make sure that the viruses arn't very harmfull. Yet, even with some harmless virus there is some risk to it due to the virus possibly mutating.
Did you bother reading the article at all?
The Article wrote:The special viruses, called bacteriophages, are meant to kill strains of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the Food and Drug Administration said in declaring it safe to use on ready-to-eat meats prior to their packaging.
The preparation of bacteriophages -- the name is Greek for "bacteria-eater" -- attacks only strains of the Listeria bacterium and not human or plant cells, the FDA said.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
bacteriphages do not and can not infect human beings.
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Now I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regard to my character so let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job. And then I get paid.- Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity, which sums up my feelings regarding the lawsuit discussed here.
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Sun Wukung wrote:This scares me for the simple reason that it could cause people to get sick because of the viruses. That is, unless they make sure that the viruses arn't very harmfull. Yet, even with some harmless virus there is some risk to it due to the virus possibly mutating.
Did you bother reading the article at all?
The Article wrote:The special viruses, called bacteriophages, are meant to kill strains of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the Food and Drug Administration said in declaring it safe to use on ready-to-eat meats prior to their packaging.
The preparation of bacteriophages -- the name is Greek for "bacteria-eater" -- attacks only strains of the Listeria bacterium and not human or plant cells, the FDA said.
Whoops. I guess I didn't read the article or I would have seen that. When I saw 'virus' I kneejerked to the idea of infection. Now that I know that it's bacteriophages, I guess I am more comfortable with it.
Any job worth doing with a laser is worth doing with many, many lasers. -Khrima
There's just no arguing with some people once they've made their minds up about something, and I accept that. That's why I kill them. -Othar Avatar credit
Any chance of the Russian medical community being compensated, rewarded or even credited for their decades of hard work researching on application of bacteriophages to humans?
I doubt they'll get credit, compensation, or jackshit for this. Unfortuately. Reality sucks sometimes.
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.Leonard Nimoy.
Now I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regard to my character so let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job. And then I get paid.- Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity, which sums up my feelings regarding the lawsuit discussed here.
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. - John F. Kennedy
It's a good idea, but I expect the no food in a lab rule will be even more enforced given what a bitch it is to have your expensive bacteria culture killed off by Lambda phages from someone's beef sandwich.
That depends on the strain and what bacteria are present. I doubt it'd be that bad a thing anyway, since the harmful bacteria would die off too and any probiotic will replenish good cultures easy enough.
I guess I didn't read the article or I would have seen that. When I saw 'virus' I kneejerked to the idea of infection. Now that I know that it's bacteriophages, I guess I am more comfortable with it.
