The Search for Better Health Challenge Question 2! (1 Viewer)

[Survivor39]

The Search for Better Health Challenge Question 2


In your biology course, you have learned about the Koch's postulates to determine the causative organism of an infectious disease. For example, the identification of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a casative agent for the disease tuberculosis.

Question (Difficulty 10/10!!!):

Can the Koch's postulates apply to the identification of viruses as a causative agents? Why/Why not?

 

[Dr_Doom]

No as you can only identify the causative pathogen. Viruses are too minute to be isolated and cultured.

 

[Survivor39]

Pathogens can be anything, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protoza. As long as they causes disease, they are termed "pathogens".

Viruses can be cultured. Size isn't really an issue when you try to culture something.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

some viruses cause immune responses that cause the disease... and once the virus is gone but the disease persists...

Group A Strep and rheumatic fever and then Rheumatic heart disease

it can sometimes fail as there are other factors that affect pathogenicity... e.g MAC in AIDS

 

[Survivor39]

Is that an answer or is it just your random information? Well, some autoimmune diseases are induced by viruses, but these are not identified by the Koch's postulates. But my question isn't really on that.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

im just saying that u cant use koch's for everything... btw by ure reasoning my exams are all random

ummmm heres random..
host for Mycobacterium Leprae is the human and the armadillo.. see thats random

 

[case88]

in response to the question, i'd probably go yes and no.
going through koch's postulates, the pathogen can be identified. however, viruses multiply by invading the host cell and can often produce dissimilar symptoms within individuals. they're also susceptible to mutations, and so it would not always be possible to easily identify the pathogen.

that's probably a whole lot of hooey (i.e. crap-full-of-shit) but that's probably what i would go for.

 

[sm8]

Can viruses really be cultured? i thought they needed a living host cell in order to reproduce, and if they cant be cultured then Koch's postulates cant be used as you need a pure culture of the pathogen.

ok i tink ive thought about this too much and im getting confused with the information that i know... AH! i really have to study! 20 days!!!!!!

What is they answer by the way? >_< this is annoying me. lol

 

[Survivor39]

sm8, excellent deduction! In a way you have correctly answered the question.

Remember one of the postulate state that the pathogen MUST be grown in a PURE culture.

Virus cannot be grown in a pure culture. In order to grow viruses, you need to have host cells, either in a cell culture with suitable media (e.g. monolayer of fibroblast), or in an intact whole animal. Hence, the Koch's postulate cannot really be applied.