It is no surprise that COVID-19 has taken over our conversations, news, and even social media. There are constantly new updates on how leaders are hoping to combat this disease, as well as new findings on the disease itself. It has unfortunately become the new daily at this time. Even though COVID-19 is taking up the spotlight, it should not distract us from other pathogens that are still present in the world. Let’s take a look at the hepatitis C virus and norovirus.
According to an article from CNN, there has been a surge in the number of individuals infected with hepatitis C over the last several years in the United States. In 2018, for every 100,000 individuals, only about 1.2 cases were reported. While this does not sound like much, in 2009, for every 100,000 individuals, only 0.3 cases were found. Within the span of almost 10 years, the number of cases of hepatitis C was three times more in 2018 than in 2009. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that it is crucial that individuals who are 18 and older should go through hepatitis C screenings to check whether they are infected or not. What is interesting is that individuals who were as young as 20 and as old as 39 had the larger increase in numbers of infected individuals, as well as identified as the largest age group(s) infected. Moreover, they now take up about 36.5% of the recent cases of chronic hepatitis C. Diagnosis is key in preventing further detrimental effects from happening.
These new findings are quite alarming to say the least. While hepatitis C is not as severe as hepatitis A and hepatitis B, it still should not be overlooked. As we learned in class, out of all of the blood-borne infections in the United States, it is probably the one that is the most seen throughout the country. In addition, liver cancer and cirrhosis can result in some of the people that are infected. This hits close to home because both of my grandparents were diagnosed with hepatitis C and faced damage to their liver. Seeing what they had went through allowed me to understand the necessity for people to be tested for this infection. I would not want anyone to face what they had faced or feel the emotional distress I had felt upon watching their mental state slowly deteriorate.
In addition to the alarming rates of hepatitis C infections, the norovirus has made headlines as well. According to an article from ScienceDaily, researchers have found that the norovirus, which is known to cause viral gastroenteritis, may have the ability to change part of its capsid. Moreover, the capsid of a virus is known to keep the set of genes that a virus has. The surface of the capsid is characterized by numerous projections. However, these projections are not stuck in their current positions. Researchers have noted that they are constantly rotating and changing lengths. Since these viruses are not in a set structure for long, this may challenge the immune system and its defenses. The shape of the virus is very important when the immune system is trying to identify it, and if it is changing rapidly, the immune system may not be able to keep up. This may be one of the contributing factors to reoccurring episodes of viral gastroenteritis. How were they able to see the details on these viruses you may ask? Thankfully, there are advanced super computers out there that have the ability to allow scientists to closely observe and learn about these little pathogens.
Learning about the abilities that different microbes have (or may have) is such a fascinating (and scary) topic to me. After learning that we have short-term immunity to noroviruses in class, it makes sense that they would have the ability to change the appearance of their capsid. In addition, this discovery adds to why no vaccine is made (and may not ever be made) because of the ability of this virus and the length of our immunity to it. I believe that this is another instance in which it is better to prevent transmission than to wait to treat it. Like the preventive measures of COVID-19, washing your hands plays a big role in this!
Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think the world has somewhat forgotten that there are other microbes out there that can cause infection. Now, everytime someone tells me that they are sick, my mind goes straight to the coronavirus, even though I am taking a medical microbiology course and am always learning about new diseases. What is happening with the hepatitis C virus and norovirus may sound minuscule compared to COVID-19, but nonetheless, they are still pathogens that can infect individuals everywhere in the world. People may come into contact with dirty needles and equipment. Since millennials enjoy getting body piercings and tattoos, I think this may be one of the reasons why there are a large number of individuals that are infected with hepatitis C infections. The new finding about the norovirus’ ability to change appearances gives us more insight as to how it avoids the immune system’s wrath, as well as provides scientists with more information about viruses in general and how to deal with their escape mechanisms. While this is a scary notion, we must face it together and remind ourselves to act safely and rationally, as well as to practice good hygiene. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy! ❤
Melanie Nguyen's Microbiology Blog 