Do microbes get ill ? [Answered: Define "ill"]

[Externet]

Do viruses, bacteria, and the microbes that cause illness to humans get their share of problems too with parasits or sickening agents other than antibodies ?

 

I would love to see viruses with thermometers stuck in their mouths, keeping rest...

[PhDP]

Unless you count mutations as illness (and you shouldn't), then viruses can't get sick.

 

On the other hand, bacteria can be infected by viruses.

[insane_alien]

bacteria can get viruses 'bacteriophages' is the term for them i think.

[Ladeira]

it'd be strange to see bacterias with breast cancer...!

by the way it's exactly what insane_alien said.

[CharonY]

Weeeell, in a way bacteria (or other prokaryotes) are similar to cancer cells as both are in theory immortalized cells which can proliferate endlessly...

[Skye]

Also, Bdellovibrio bacteria parasitise other bacteria.

[jimmydasaint]

Bacteriophage that are lytic (destroy the cells on exit after multiplication) can affect bacteria. Moreover, using correct bacteriophage could be used to control the extent of bacterial infection. However, viruses can be also used in a curative way for example in humans, viruses can be used to treat brain cancers:

http://www.cancernetwork.com/brain-tumors/article/10165/78548

[Graviphoton]

Bacteriophages are a virus that attacks bacteria.

 

and that's already been said. Nice one Gareth.

[ilovebacteria]

The thing with bacteria is that you can't really think of them in terms of individual cells. An antibiotic might be able to kill 99.99% of a population of bacteria, yet if one survives it can proliferate and be back to its original numbers in no time! So any sick cells just die and no one notices.

[Psycho]

The thing with bacteria is that you can't really think of them in terms of individual cells. An antibiotic might be able to kill 99.99% of a population of bacteria, yet if one survives it can proliferate and be back to its original numbers in no time! So any sick cells just die and no one notices.

The same could be said about humans except you would need 2, that doesn't mean they can't be classed as individuals, the rate of replication maybe a bit slower but it is the same idea.

[xnebulalordx676]

Yeah viruses can get ill. But this is a brand new discovery seems. This is new discovery separate from the bacteriophage subject.

 

A group of researchers at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France were the finders.

 

Here's the article:

Even Viruses Catch Viruses

By Jason Socrates Bardi, Inside Science News Service

[posted: 28 September 2008 05:03 pm ET]

 

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080928-virus-viruses.html

Edited October 7, 2008 by xnebulalordx676
spelling

[Genecks]

Weeeell, in a way bacteria (or other prokaryotes) are similar to cancer cells as both are in theory immortalized cells which can proliferate endlessly...

 

What's the possibility of giving a bacterium cancer with a virus?

[Mr Skeptic]

A cancer is when cells reproduce as fast as they are able to. Which is what bacteria already do. In a multicellular organism, these cells divide at the expense of all the other cells in the organism, potentially killing it. But in a single-celled organism, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference if there was one.

[CharonY]

What's the possibility of giving a bacterium cancer with a virus?

 

Zero. As mentioned, bacteria are themselves (basically) immortalized cells. Viruses will, at best, reduce their viability or slow their growth (unless transduction occurs, but then then virus is incomplete).

 

It is not that cancer cells are necessarily defined by their kinetics (growing as fast as they theoretically can) but rather the mere fact that they do not stop proliferating.

[Genecks]

Zero. As mentioned, bacteria are themselves (basically) immortalized cells. Viruses will, at best, reduce their viability or slow their growth (unless transduction occurs, but then then virus is incomplete).

 

It is not that cancer cells are necessarily defined by their kinetics (growing as fast as they theoretically can) but rather the mere fact that they do not stop proliferating.

 

Are you saying bacteria don't have oncogenes?

Edited November 7, 2008 by Genecks

[Mr Skeptic]

We're saying that it doesn't matter because of what bacteria are. Maybe cancer would affect colony forming bacteria, but I doubt even that.

[Dnasis]

there is a new virus that has been discovered that parasitises the MimiVirus which infects aemobae. It is known as the sputnik virus which has only been recently discovered!