Esperanza Gomez-Lucia
I have a DVM and a PhD in Animal Health. I am a Prof. at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid at the Vet School. I find my work very motivating and love it. But I also have many other hobbies.
Location Madrid - Spain
Activity
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Dawn Boileau
Thanks, Dawn, I wrote a long reply and now I don't see it. I hope that you got it. I was going to reply again to you regarding your interest in medieval history. Maybe you would be interested in doing some research on a viral disease during that period? Maybe smallpox?
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to John Jaqen
Thanks, John. Viruses will always be one step (at least) ahead of us, simply because they replicate so fast that they include mutations to surprise us. Unluckily this surprises are worse than Trick or Treat. But we have to continue learning so that step is shorter and shorter. Best of luck in your future.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Emily Ma
Thanks, Emily. Glad that you liked it.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Emma W
Thanks, Emma. I have to thank the mentors very warmly, but especially you, learners, who with your input in the discussions have made it so interesting. Best of luck in your future.
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Thanks, Bryan. We hope that the course provided knowledge for understanding the big world of viruses. It seems that timing was good, with this pandemic hovering above us. Best of luck in your future.
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Thank you, Jose. We are very happy when we read comments like yours. We hope that the course has helped understand the incredible world of viruses (and I don't say it as the title of a book but believing sincerely in them). If the course has been good it is also due to all of you who have enriched it with your comments in discussions. And of course, the...
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Linda Maul
Hi, Linda. Thanks for your words. We are very glad that you found it interesting. And WE thank all the learners who, with their input in the discussions, make the course interesting. All the best in your future.
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Hi, Hafiz. Thank you very much for your kind words. We are so happy that you have learned so much about virology... and that it is your favourite subject. We hope that you are able to understand better the viral diseases that are around us, not only Covid, but are more aware of the role of viruses in our lives. All the best in your future.
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Hi, Rozana. Thank you very much for your kind words. We have certainly put a lot of effort behind it, not only the "faces" that you have seen in the videos but many others who have been filming, editing the videos and so on... and certainly the mentors. But it is so rewarding to read comments like yours. I especially like your adjectives: intrigued, motivated,...
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How scary. Anthrax is very dangerous, luckily it is eradicated from many parts of the world.
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Actually it is not so hot in the BSL-4 conditions, as suits have a thermostat to feel comfortable. Yes SARS-CoV-2 requires a BSL-3 or higher.
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That's a good attitude
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The RNA for PCR diagnosis is extracted in a BSL-3, as Alejandro mentioned. Once you have the RNA you can continue with the PCR is a BSL-2 laboratory, as it is no longer infectious.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Franc RS
Sorry, it must be down. Try this other one https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12523706
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Sorry that the link is not working. We will use your link in the future. It is good to have good facts, especially on such sensitive matters as economics.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to A G
@AG Though it might seem that way, the truth is that naked viruses are more resistant to physico-chemical conditions than enveloped viruses. This is because the proteins that attach to cell receptors are in the envelope, which is very lose around the virus and it is lost easily.
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I agree, it is very difficult to keep this pace. I am a little bit overwhelmed.
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I am not sure that I agree. For me, it's taking a lot more effort.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
I have used ppt recordings but got frustrated because upon reviewing the ensuing video in many of them it turned out that fragments were missing!! Now I use Active Presenter to record my classes. My initial idea was to deliver them in real time, but in these conflicting and anguishing days the students asked me just to record the classes and upload them so...
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I have given the students an easy online game on my subject, which records a ranking, so they are motivated to use it. In addition, I have started flashcards for all of them to improve and add to the existing ones.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
I teach microbiology to University students, who are 99% young adults. This situation is certainly going to affect them. Some will have relatives or friends in the hospital, ICU, or who may have even died. Some of my students will be sick themselves. This is either going to help them mature fast, or will arrest their maturation process. Some will find comfort...
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Elisabeth Mackie
I have found out that we can use technology correctly and we do not need to be afraid of it. So we can be confident that we are going to win this battle of online teaching!!
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Izak Botha
I find your enthusiasm contagious. I hope to learn a lot from fellow learners as well as from the instructors.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
I am a professor at the University in Madrid. I teach virology to 2nd course students (who are around 19 or 20 years old). I have been a teacher for the last 35 years or so. At the beginning I did not use to like it very much, I guess that the pressure was big. But now I find it so rewarding that I will miss it very much when I retire. Especially I like...
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
I was seeking to improve my teaching online. This has provided a good opportunity for me to do it. Thanks!
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I agree with your point. However, one thing is that students link to a virtual class (which may be parents responsibility) and another that they are enthusiastic about what they are learning or at least interested.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
Though online teaching maybe exciting at the beginning, I think that the interest fades fast after the novelty is accepted. So keeping adult learners engaged is my main concern.
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Can you suggest a cause for that ataxia?
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Unluckily it is not mandatory in all Comunidades Autonomas.
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Good job!
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Influenzaviruses which affect dogs are the equine viruses (H3N8, 2004, EEUU) and human viruses (H3N2, 2007 Asia, and 2015, EEUU). There are licensed vaccines against fluviruses to be used in horses. In the USA there is a commercial vaccine for dogs including both H3N8 and H3N2).
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Natural hosts include mostly African wild hogs, such as warthogs (Facocherus). Presently, African swine fever is the biggest threat to the world meat industry.
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Or even longer than 4-6 years after. They may die at old age of 15 or 16 having being infected for most of their life.
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There are different causes for diarrhea. As you say, allergic reactions may be one of them, as is several bacterial diseases, or even cold food.
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Nice comment. However, I don't know of viral diseases that may be transmitted from the wild boar to humans through the feces.
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Maybe that rabies would be enough to handle it in BL3, as well as highly pathogenic influenza. If I may ask, and for the benefit of other learners, try to write the names of the viruses in full as I am wondering whether PPV is porcine parvovirus or another virus; and CPV canine parvovirus. In any case, thanks for your contribution.
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As you say, it is difficult to generalize because there are many different types of Influenzavirus strains. As far as I know, you have it right and I am very happy that you have shared it with all the others. Thanks for the effort of conveying your knowledge.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Margaret Merry
Manuela has a good point here. Immunity cannot be transferred to other animals. Any contact of young puppies with other animals may pose them at risk. Better to avoid it.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Lucy H
Thank you. We hope that we have stimulated your curiosity and that you continue researching more on animal viruses. They are amazing!!!!
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to JACKI HART
I know, sorry about that. Believe it or not, nobody had mentioned it in the past two runs. Maybe they were not counting letters!
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I'm glad that you like it!!
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There are ways of capturing a video as it is in the screen. I encourage you to try it!!
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Hi, Chris. Good thinking!! However, the process of producing vaccines against viral diseases is quite lengthy. Producing vaccines against seasonal flu every year takes about 8-9 months, and is one of the fastest ones. As far as I know there are no farm-taylored vaccines for viruses, though there are for bacterial diseases. Though your suggestion is good, it is...
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to JACKI HART
OK. I found it. It is really in 4.5 and you are right that it is a 9 letter word. We cannot change it for this run, but we will change it for the future. Many thanks.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to JACKI HART
If it is 3.5, question 2 is the one to fill in and the response is ENVELOPE, which is a 8-letter word. I'll check 4.5.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to JACKI HART
Hi, Jacki. Thanks for pointing it out, but is it in this week or in the following week?
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Aurora G
Hi, Aurora. Though I am not an epidemiologist I think that risk factors can suggest a cause of a disease, but not prove it. For example, tobacco is a risk factor for lung cancer but not everybody who smokes develops lung cancer.
As for question 2, for example retrospective studies can determine when was a specific virus introduced in a population. At the... -
You are right. And sadly it seems that the breach between rich and poor countries is increasing, and the aid sent is not enough.
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I have added some comments in some Anonymous posts. Please, check them.
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I guess it is the same situation for BSL-4: you do inside the biological experiments, while you can work on the independent proteins, for example, outside. I do not think that there are different levels of biosecurity in BSL-4.
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Hahaha. I hope so, too.
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But you can watch it again, and you have the slides and the transcript. But I agree it is a lot of information, because the immune system is complex.
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There are even masterpieces by artists depicting these tulips.
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Good job, Lilian!!
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This is mostly with bacteriophages. Replication forms are not as clear in animal viruses.
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Even though efficacy of flu shots may be low (50-60%), it is still better than nothing. It is very difficult to determine which viruses to include in flu vaccines and predictions can be changed by reality if the weather is different, for example. The problem of Lilian was not the vaccine, but the virus itself. I would say: continue receiving the shot every year.
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Chris, that is a good point, but I would for sure say that a prion is not alive. Having genetic information is a "must" for a living organism. We could continue as whether it would be enough... but as Nicola says, we could spend endless discussions on that.
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia replied to Vesna McMaster
Take it easy, relax and watch it as many times as needed.
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A more updated report has been provided by the WHO http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/96/2/17-199547/en/. Who also published a list of the major diseases likely to cause major epidemics http://www.who.int/medicines/ebola-treatment/WHO-list-of-top-emerging-diseases/en/
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Unluckily the geographical spread of A. aegypti is widening, and it reaches temperate regions, such as the Mediterranean coast.
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Actually, FeLV is an exogenous virus that can become endogenous. Just vertical transmission does not mean "endogenous". It is only when the virus affects germinal cells (spermatozoids or oocytes) and gets into the germ line, being transmitted from generation to generation, but not producing viral particles, just due to its presence in the germ line.
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Interesting example. There are periodical hantavirus infections in Yosemite.
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I am not too sure that feline leukemia virus can be reactivated by vaccines. Though it produces disease usually after several months after initial infection, FeLV is quite virulent and replicates constantly at a low degree (but infecting important cells, such as the precursos of the immune cells) till there are so many infected cells that the disease simply...
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@AuroraG That's right!
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Esperanza Gomez-Lucia made a comment
Dear learners, try to do the brochure and post it in padlet. It will be fun. You can use your own drawings or illustrations from the web.
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Some viruses are very hardy. For example, parvoviruses (naked viruses) can remain in the soil or floor of kennels for years if they are not disinfected. Some other viruses which are not as hardy (eg. those that produce swine fever, both African and classical) can remain in frozen meat for over 20 years. In both cases, they can start outbreaks. And...
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Good job. Can you prepare a slide illustrating this information and post it in padlet?
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Hi, Carla. Can you check which type of arthropods?
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Not all of them. Some viruses become part of the cell (its genome or in the cytoplasm as episomes) and are not expressed till the adequate moment comes. A perfect and evolved parasite is the one which does not produce death of its host.
