
Bacteria that can live for decades and kill 70% of infected humans (2016) - Mz
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/01/11/462416728/this-germ-can-live-decades-in-distilled-water-kill-humans-in-48-hours
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Someone
_" And the death rate can be high — "up to 70 percent,""_

 _" In parts of northeast Thailand, up to half of the population has been
infected at some point"_

That would mean that, out of every 100 people born, 75 would get infected, of
which 50 die, leaving 25 who never got infected and 25 who survived.

That would mean this disease kills half of those born. Yet, this disease,
which has visible symptoms, isn't well known? => I expect that "up to 70
percent" is based on an exceptional and small sample (for comparison: under
five child mortality rate is 1:6 in Angola, more like 1:10 in south east Asia)

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keir-rex
How did you deduce those figures? 50% of 100 is 50. 70% of 50 is 35.

Meaning: 1) 50 out of 100 people were infect, 2) 35 of which would die, 3)
leaving 50 who didn't get infected, 4) leaving 15 who survived.

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masklinn
> How did you deduce those figures?

Probably by inferring "up to half of the <living> population has been infected
at some point".

In your version, only a quarter of the <living> population has been infected
at some point since you have 15 infected out of 65 living people.

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keir-rex
Ah, I see it now. Apologies!

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ageofwant
With permafrost melting out bacteria and virii that has not been seen in the
biosphere for 100k years + I wonder what new adventures on the plague front
lies in wait for us.

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kumarski
I'm far more concerned about Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Salinity in Soil +
influenza pandemics than I am about a soil bacteria....

I'm not worried about this and neither is my father, an agricultural soil
chemist of 30 years. This article is old.

There's a vaccine under development at Exeter too.....

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pajop
there's a vaccine developed for this already:
[https://www.journals.elsevier.com/vaccine/news/new-
vaccine-c...](https://www.journals.elsevier.com/vaccine/news/new-vaccine-
could-save-thousands-of-lives)

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nthcolumn
_Without treatment_ it can kill within 48 hours. It sounds like a weapon, easy
to store and lethal except that basic hygiene can prevent needed the ABs in
the first place.

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nickthemagicman
Just watched the preview for Alien Covenant. Got a little nervous there.

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KasianFranks
It kills itself to fast.

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jlebrech
nature needs to try harder

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Para2016
clickbait title.

The bacteria is Burkholderia pseudomallei. A tropical disease with 165k cases
each year with 90k deaths. A decently high mortality rate - but this is in 3rd
world tropics without proper testing/antibiotic sensitivities. When properly
treated the mortality is 1/10.

But I've been drinking pretty heavily tonight, so who knows. Maybe you have it
right now.

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flukus
> When properly treated the mortality is 1/10

Isn't that still on the really high side of things?

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a3n
It is. Consider the word "decimated."

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emiliobumachar
Thanks, I did learn something today.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_%28Roman_army%29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_%28Roman_army%29)

"A cohort (roughly 480 soldiers) selected for punishment by decimation was
divided into groups of ten. Each group drew lots (sortition), and the soldier
on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning or
clubbing."

"The procedure was a pragmatic attempt to balance the need to punish serious
offences with the realities of managing a large group of offenders."

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plg
bacteria is plural

should be "a bacterium"

or "bacteria that can live for decades ..."

not "a bacteria"

~~~
ars
"a bacteria" refers to the species, not individuals of the species.

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laurent123456
Why is this clickbaity, non-technical article from 2016 on the front page of
HN?

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DrScump
(January 2016)

