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Call for questions: EPIDEMIOLOGY! (Patreon)

Published:
2018-07-11 18:33:01
Edited:
2018-07-12 17:55:18
Imported:
2018-07

Content

While I'm in Chicago, I'm meeting up with one of the two Erins (Allmann Updyke) of "This Podcast Will Kill You," which is a wonderful and hilarious and delightfully fucked up look at epidemiology. 

Erin JUST became a doctor [party horn] and her research focuses on Chagas Disease, a bug-borne illness that may have taken down our man Charles Darwin. But we'll be chatting about all kinds of epidemics, so leave questions below. 

(Ps: any other great -ologists I should meet while I'm here?)

Comments

Kolleen Thompson

Any natural treatments for Thyroid diseases? I’m hyper at the moment but slowly moving towards hypo after I had radiation iodine. Thanks!

Dustin Mills

Can we actually cure HIV and AIDS?

Mary Ann

I recently read an article about guinea worms making a jump to dogs and people are worried this could make it impossible to eradicate. Does this happen often? How does this sort of thing happen? Thanks <3

Emily Z

Will we ever get a malaria vaccine? Why is it so difficult? Are there any other parasites that we can (potentially) vaccinate against?

Rolando jacuinde

Could the plot of “Outbreak” happen, where you would have to bomb the bajezzus of an area to eradicate a threat?

Justin

What’s the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic and is there a set threshold for when it goes from one to the other? Also, are those the two main “-demics” or are there more we just don’t hear about?

Dawn Doherty-Affleck

So excited for this one!!! Side note, Chagas Disease is caused by my fav parasite Trypanosoma cruzi!! So here’s my question: What is the biggest factor affecting epidemiological issues? i.e new and emerging diseases, climate change, evolving bacteria?? What is your biggest concern when it comes to predicting the future? Thanks!!

Aeriel Belk

I love their podcast, and I'm so excited to hear two of my favorite science podcasts come together! My question is, with all of the pop-science/sci-fi books about outbreaks and epidemics that are usually so unrealistic that they make me cringe, are there any good, realistic books you can recommend to someone that has a weird fascination with reading about horrific diseases?

Mikey

What’s the deal with the dancing plague of 1518? I’ve heard a lot of reasons as to why it occurred which includes possibly reasonable like bacterial or hallucinogenic mushrooms to it was actually all a big hoax. And will we ever see anything in that level of insanity again?

Greg

As global warming continues to expose more and more diseases, and we generally work to destroy ourselves through our own short-sightedness, are we as humans destined for a sudden, massive population crash in the next 5-10 years?

Matt McTaggart

I'm such a fan of public health in general and epidemiology in particular I cannot wait to hear this interview. How much of modern epidemiology is in the lab vs. good old fashioned shoe leather detective work? Is the latter just my romantic illusion? Will the balance change in the future?

Anna Thompson

I have a few... You can see the eras of my history interests Were the Salem Witch Trials a mass dillusion brought on by Ergot? Is the black plauge still a thing we need to worry about? How unprepared are we for a flu pandemic on the scale of Spanish Flu (1918 flu)?

Katie Trivilino

Omigosh I LOVE epidemiology! What are some careers in the field that you never really knew existed? What are some good epidemiological career options for extroverts?

Anna Marie

I feel like the anti-vaxx movement is leading us all down a dark path. How scared should we be for the future of "eradicated" diseases?

Adam Drake

Is influenza still *the* major infection that the scientific community feels *will* become the next pandemic / epidemic? Are there other lesser known diseases that could become as much of a threat? (esp. ones we don't know about or don't receive as much coverage.) (aka: non-ebola, I guess.)

Brittany Bell

Two of my favorite science podcasts combined into one? My heart may not take it. I guess my question is "Which diseases transmitted via mosquitos are you most concerned about as the planet continues to warm and mosquito populations aren't dying out in the cold winters the way they have in the past?"

Julia Sweet

Given that humans have destroyed so much of the planet due to misuse and overpopulation, are there any looming epidemics that the planet could use to fight back? Things that emerge as a direct result of us screwing something up..unearthing some horrible airborne disease that would have never emerged if we hadn’t started fracking for instance.

Matthew

What contamination vectors are the public unaware of? We all know about air-borne pathogens, fluid-borne pathogens, human/animal carriers, and contact transmission (like fecal-oral). Is there another way that diseases spread?

Justin So

Can mental illness be epidemic? If so, how?

Joe Weinmunson

Did Napoleon's desire to reduce infection in military hospitals contribute to modern epidemiology? I am SURE I remember reading this in school and now cannot find any sources.

Aki

Is "antibiotic resistance" a critical issue? If so, aside from preventing the over-prescription/use of antibiotics, are there new treatments/drugs being developed to help? What are the challenges to developing new drugs?

Casey Handmer

Is belief in ghosts spread between children and cultures like an infectious disease? Does it have vectors? Are some conceptions more virulent than others? Do all ghost beliefs evolve over time to be less scary/more benign, and less harmful to their hosts?

Levi like the jeans

What is the most ridiculous home remedy she has heard of ?

Jessica Williams

There always seems to be huge news about mosquito borne illnesses. What caused the alarm of West Nile several years ago, and then again just a few years ago with Zika?

John Worster

Is there any cure for the lone star tick bite, that makes you allergic to meat?

don schwartz

I'd love to understand the 3 forms of hepatitis and what actually is MRSA?

Radha Vakharia

Is the anti-vaccine movement declining yet? Are people finally coming to their senses?

Cindy Pan

What do you think is the scariest epidemic that can happen or is happening now? Why?

Rachel von Morrigan

There seems to be more of an equalization for treating with pharmaceuticals and natural treatment for illness big and small. Should we be looking to treat the small stuff naturally so we don’t become so resistant that disease morphs into super viruses or is this all the natural evolution disease?

Danny Kang

How afraid should we be of “bushmeat”?

Olaf Doschke

I know this general stance - I know it's just a loud minority, as on so many topics - but I only recently came across a few tweets and Quora questions. I don't get the impression this is on the rise, but actually not heard any more recent news about the plans and stance of Government.

Brooke Danielle

Serious question: Honestly, how helpful is animal testing when developing cures for diseases? How does that compare to non-animal testing in effectiveness? Less serious question: When you're on a bad date, have you ever explained your job and then sneezed and said "Uh-oh" and then walked away hurriedly to get out of the situation early?

The Project Project

What, pray, what-- exactly-- are viruses? Are they even alive as we understand "life?" Congruent with this, how close are we to being able to treat viral infections?

Hereiskarl

Is a high lysine diet actually helpful for controlling shingles?

The Project Project

Tangential to this: How screwed would humanity be if a virus emerged that was airborne-transmissible and as lethal as Ebola?

The Project Project

Not even related: Does she have anything to mention about the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, or the Encephalitis Lethargica outbreak of 1915-1926?

Hannah Silverman

How is climate change affecting the spread of mosquito born, and other vector born, diseases?

Taylor Mathis

What are your thoughts on whether or not the Milwaukee Protocol does any good for rabies victims?

Olaf Doschke

This year we had an unusual hard flu outbreak in europe, reason was ineffective vaccines. That shows how effective vacccines are in the normal case. Not to speak of vaccines you only need once for your life. Is there anything to know about plans and stance of Government? Seems it's somwehat hushed up, so did Bill Gate convince Trump?

Sam

Does riding the NYC subway daily make my immune system stronger.... or am I going to catch one of the terrifying things they've found on swabs?

Natalie

I desperately would like to hear her answers to both these questions, especially the latter. Thank you for the laugh!

Tyler Q

What's the worst-case scenario for discovering a new super bug? Is species extinction actually realistic?

Evilh

Viruses are scary! Do they fear anything?

Angela Fedler

Of all the movies that depict the end of the world due to wide spread disease, which is the most plausible?

Stephanie Hancock

Do you think there is a possibility that the lone star tick is evolutions way of helping with global warming by moving us to a red meat reduced society?

Reuben Clamzo

Dude, anti-vaxxers suck. I can't get a Lyme vaccine but my dog can? What other diseases could we protect ourselves from that anti-vaxxers are screwing up for everybody?

Zoe Elewitz

In some movies an epidemic starts out small and spreads either nationally or globally. Is this even feasible due to every person having a unique immune system? What disease would be the most likely to cause a cinematic level epidemic? And Zombies!?!?!?!?

Allison Bray

What kind of epidemics are going to become more common as the climate warms?

Tom Maher

What is the likelihood of there being another 1917 flu outbreak? And do we know why that one killed the most healthy in the population? Finally is there any viruses that either fascinate you or absolutely frighten you?

Sam K.

I'm so excited! What are some of the craziest or out-of-the-box ideas for curbing the actual bugs related to insect-borne infectious diseases? I know genetically modifying mosquitos was talked about for awhile, but I don't think it's been successful?

Jen Durbin

If so many diseases meant for one species don't affect other species, would diseases that affect aliens do little to nothing to us? And vice versa? Like War of the Worlds wouldn't have ended because of the aliens catching the common cold, right?

Danny Kang

What do you think about comparisons between humanity and viruses? Unfair to humanity or viruses?

Christopher Barley

Over the past 10 years, we had a couple of mini-epidemics play out on the news cycle. (bird flu, ebola, zika) What efforts were used so that those mini-epidemics didn't go massive and what do you think is the next out break that will be of national concern?

Julio Arguello

Is there a way for people to make a custom viral strain a la the contagion game?

Julio Arguello

Not a epidemiologist, but I know in the contagion games airborne is especially effective in areas of close proximity. Planes, trains and automobiles. The problem with lethality is it needs a long half life to survive, so a "perfect" murder virus would be one that has close to no symptoms for days or weeks, THEN kills. By that point they've infected thousands.

Melissa Lyons

How much do you yell/get angry at people in movies who work with viruses and do stupid stuff like go home after being infected with a virus they are working with and then cough blood on someone, starting the process for apes to take over. Or people visiting alien planets who take off their protective equipment then being infected by alien viruses? Also, ARE there any known alien viruses? If not, what's the chances of us finding some?

Emma Fiori

How can we look at epidemiology in animals, particularly in response to environmental conditions? Specifically, I manage water quality for captive sea otters at an aquarium, and the bacterial limits are based on human health studies, with zero correlation to animals (USDA APHIS). I would love to somehow design a study that can track animal health alongside bacterial levels in the water, but being that otters cant tell us they feel sick, and they are constantly exposed to the water in question, I'm not sure how to go about doing this in a non-invasive way. Any ideas?

Liz

Have you played the board game Pandemic? Is it anything like what happens in real life during a pandemic?

Elaine Barr

Can you explain herd immunity and how many people need to be vaccinated for it to work? I've heard about increasing cases of measles and other vaccine-prevented diseases popping up more often recently in the US, potentially due to a decrease or lack of immunized people.

Eze Pojmann-Ezeonyilo

What ever happened to Zika virus? Is it still a public health concern and is it still causing birth defects?

Arcana

Does studying disease transmission make you 500x more aware of how often you touch your face?

Erin Kelly

Why do I watch Contagion every time I have the flu...that’s probably a question for my psych actually.

Kira Lichtenfeld

How many people have to contract a disease to be considered an epidemic? What is the next one coming at us and what preparations are being done in anticipation of it?

Matisse Larocque

Are there things that are categorized as "epidemic" of which no one is aware? Like, let's say, obsessive void staring

Rachel Wysocki

I'd like to second the inquiry about the board game Pandemic! Is it a worthy representation of how disease spreads across the globe? (The classic Pandemic, not the Cthulhu iteration, though of course if she has an opinion on the coming of the Old Ones I'd love to hear that too!)

WiGeekMom

I love playing Pandemic. Have you played Legacy, yet?

Sasha Chihak

I am also a fan of Pandemic and Contagion as well. Cooperative board games are the bees-knees!

Sasha Chihak

Continuing with the zombie apocalypse scenario, what would be the probability of finding that one person in a population that is immune to becoming a zombie by the most common method of transmission - being bitten by an infected person? How many of these "immune" individuals would it take to somehow save the species from extinction by a zombie virus?

Patrick Moore

what are the main actions that can be taken to manage/prevent/mitigate an epidemic?

Patrick Moore

What is the relationship between Epidemiology and the pharmaceutical industry like? I guess must been a significant portion of industry led research into new drugs (which in itself must be considered a moral grey area?), but at the same time are there instances concerted efforts (blatant or convert) to debunk pioneering new research into cures etc in order to maintain demand for existing preventative drugs?? *takes off tin hat*

Rachel Wysocki

Hi! I haven't played Legacy, though we have a couple friends who are playing it right now and who love it! The other day they sadly had to give up on South America. I do love many campaign-style games and think that it would be very interesting to see how Pandemic plays out with the permanent outbreaks, etc. I'm a little leery of one-time use games and tearing up cards / permanently changing the board, etc., but I suppose there could be workarounds to that. :)