Quote:
Originally Posted by jimjamuser
One of the reasons that Africa and 3rd world countries have fewer CV problems WITHOUT vaccines - is because they often as children played in the dirt and went barefoot. That exposed them to more virus varieties than the 1st world countries. So they developed more NATURAL immunity.
......There is another reason.....that I have less confidence in. But, some say that the 3rd world people have a protection brought about by HOOKWORMS, which MAY (?) have a symbiotic relationship with diseases and lessen their effect on the human host. I am just presenting that possibility - NOT making a yea or nay opinion on it. It is ABOVE my pay grade. Other TV Landers may know more?
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Well, as to the first part I'm going to say yes and no. I'm not familiar with too many viruses that just hang out in the dirt waiting for a barefoot child to come along---most require some form of human to human contact to "be fruitful and multiply", or have animal reservoirs to hang out. But, I will say this, although I know of no formal study: It is the experience of most doctors that we spend most of our 3rd year of medical school ill with one kind of cold/flu/virus or another after coming into contact with real patients for the first time. Then, we seem to rarely get sick, so there may be something to the "strengthened immune system" theory (anecdotal observation only)
As to the second part, hookworms are ubiquitous---Ancylostoma duodenale in Europe and Necator americanus primarily in the warmer climates of the western hemisphere. So if true, I would expect to see the "hookworm effect" here as well as Europe (although to a lesser degree since our kids are more likely to have shoes). However, in the rural south of 50-150 years ago, hookworm was a significant cause of childhood anemia and even mental retardation