Eat Dirt
Farmers hold clue to vaccine against E coli - Scotsman.com News
THE secret of how to beat a deadly food poisoning bug may lie in Scotland's farmyards. Scientists have found that up to a fifth of Scottish farmers are immune to infection with E coli, which is spread mainly through cattle dung.
In a previous study of farmers in England and Wales, the researchers found that around three per cent had immunity to E coli 0157.
But in the Grampian region - thought to have one of the highest rates of the infection in the world - results have so far suggested a much higher rate of antibodies.
Low level expose giving immunity or Darwin at work? Knowing the state of some farmyards I am not sure it isn't the latter.
Comments
How does any inoculation against disease work? Using a weakened strain of a pathogen, stimulate an antibody response to fight future infection. Man works with dung, constantly exposed to low level infection becomes immune. Same basic process.
Posted by: Bill Sticker | August 8, 2010 2:57 PM
I have done personal farming most of my adult life here in Maine (U.S.A.) and I fully believe that farmers do built up a certain resistance to such diseases because I have farmed.
I have used raw cow muck for my vegetable gardens just like my Father and his Father et al, I have never had a problem with e-coli or anything like it and I must admit I have eatten some really grotty stuff in my life time :-) My wife nor my children haven't suffered from these things over this same time period.
I can't say for sure if I have resistance because of these things but I just state that my family has had no problems... but then even my wife's family were famers also.
But I have noticed that I don't suffer from any flu outbreaks when I remain on my farm and never go into the city... nice if you can do that but I realize that most can't...
Of course this is all IMHO :-)
Cheers and thanks for posting this
Vince
Posted by: Vincent Werber | August 8, 2010 5:34 PM