Skyrocketing Newborn Syphilis and vampire viruses

I didn't have vampire viruses in my bingo card

Life sometimes has its way of making you write what you want, not what you planned. I started the day writing about Long Covid, shifted hours later to an important piece of news, and 2 hours later to this one, and here we are. To me, children's long-term health is more important than… everything else ? Yes.

For better context and a matter of track record, in early September of 2022, I published a short article talking about the now boring theme of negative vaccine efficacy, in children in this case, and most importantly here, how the number of Syphilis cases was basically skyrocketing, citing cases in the US, and Japan. A trend shared by Britain too. Ironically I also cited how the number of deaths by Dengue infection tripled in 2022, now we know why (SARS-CoV-2 helps set off Dengue ADE).

In July of 2023, following my interest in drug shortages, I wrote how Pfizer warned at the time it would run out of antibiotics from the penicillin family, including Bicilin L-A, the preferred treatment for syphilis in pregnant women. Pfizer is the only company that produces the drug.

Newborn syphilis cases at highest level in 30 years: CDC

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show cases are at the highest level in at least 30 years. There were more than 3,700 infants born with syphilis in 2022, a tenfold increase over the past 10 years. 

Benzathine penicillin G is the preferred treatment for syphilis during pregnancy, and it is currently in short supply. Pfizer, which is the only company manufacturing the drug, said it would take until at least the second quarter of 2024 to increase production enough to end the shortage.

Lack of timely testing and adequate treatment contributed to substantial proportions of cases in all geographic areas and in all racial and ethnic groups.  

“The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has skyrocketed at a heartbreaking rate,” CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry said.

If you are a long-term reader, this outcome comes as no surprise, and it is a depressing one. When not properly treated, even if there is no apparent damage at the early stages of life, the long-term damage is trackable, and neurosyphilis is one of the most under, but significant diagnoses for Alzheimer’s Disease.

My biggest concern for the last 2 years has been the waves of “atypical” bacterial, and fungal infections, that will contribute to poorer long-term outcomes, and especially lower cognitive function. But here lies a few conundrums regarding syphilis and that damn thing (mRNA).

The Covid mRNA vaccines can cause chronic (meaning long-term) false positive RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin) to syphilis. In simple terms, certain vaccinated individuals can keep testing positive for syphilis, without actually being infected, for up to 9 months. It makes diagnosing and proper treatment harder than it should be, and a detailed medical history is necessary, something I personally prefer, but it is not viable for many situations and doctors.

The second conundrum is that the mRNA can “reactivate” a syphilis infection and cause secondary syphilis. Most likely it will also significantly contribute to tertiary syphilis, but we need long-term studies for that (as in 15-30 years long-term). Adding to this mess, there is no end in sight for the Amoxicillin shortage. Strep throat is treated by the antibiotic and it has been increasing for the entire year.

While I maintain all my assessments and assertions to this day, we still lack conclusive evidence on what exactly is happening, at a global immunological level to cause these waves of all sorts of infections on what entails basically all age groups. To me, it is SARS-CoV-2, but the problem is the mechanism. I maintain my advice that any reader should keep a small stash of antibiotics as a last resort, a break glass in case of emergency.

Now for the fun part of today’s article.

First ever 'vampire viruses' are discovered in the wild in the US

• Viruses come in contact with other viruses to replicate in a host

• Scientists found the first case where viruses latched onto the neck of helpers

Scientists have observed 'vampire viruses' for the first time - pathogens that latch onto other viruses in order to replicate themselves. 

Researchers have known for decades, in theory, that some viruses prey on other viruses, unlike most that self-replicate.

Now, under a microscope, a team of researchers in Maryland has watched this process that involves a 'satellite' and 'helper' virus.

The strain of bacteriophage, a type of virus that infects bacteria, latched onto a soil-borne virus's 'neck' – the place where the capsid joins the tail of the virus.

The satellite in UMBC's sample, named MiniFlayer by the students who isolated it, is the first known case of a satellite with no gene for integration.
An experiment showed that 80 percent (40 out of 50) helpers had a satellite bound at the neck

Because it cannot integrate into the host cell's DNA, it must be near its helper—named MindFlayer—every time it enters a host cell if it is going to survive.

An experiment showed that 80 percent (40 out of 50) helpers had a satellite bound at the neck. 

Given that, although the team did not directly prove this explanation, 'Attaching now made total sense,' said Ivan Erill, professor of biological sciences, 'because otherwise, how are you going to guarantee that you are going to enter into the cell at the same time?' 

More observations determined that MindFlayer and MiniFlayer have been co-evolving for a long time.

'This satellite has been tuning in and optimizing its genome to be associated with the helper for, I would say, at least 100 million years,' Erill said.

Elia Mascolo, a graduate student in Erill ‘s research group and co-first author on the paper, analyzed the genomes of the satellite, helper, and host, which revealed further clues about this never-before-seen viral relationship. Most satellite viruses contain a gene that allows them to integrate into the host cell’s genetic material after they enter the cell. 

This enables the satellite to reproduce whenever a helper enters the cell from then on. The host cell also copies the satellite’s DNA and its own when it divides. 

Vampire viruses, zombie cells, hybrid particles, and biofilms. The molecular world is full of the most interesting of surprises. I guess I should not ascribe to complete insanity my (personal, shared in private) assertion that SARS-CoV-2 most likely does the same with a lot of other pathogens, and vice-versa.

Hybrid virus particles ,biofilms and bacterial Internet

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