It’s easy for many of us to dismiss the threat of H1N1 influenza (swine flu) when New Hampshire isn’t among the states hardest hit. But new research suggests a hidden danger that can rob us of our protection against the swine flu and other flu viruses may be lurking in our backyards. 
Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) researchers say low-level arsenic levels commonly found in contaminated well water may reduce the immune response to flu viruses. They studied the immune response in mice that drank water containing 100 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic for five weeks and were then exposed to the H1N1 infection. The researchers found that that immune response was initially inadequate in mice that drank the tainted water. When their immune systems did respond, they were “too robust and too late.” The mice that drank the arsenic-laced water were sicker during their infection than normal mice.
No comments:
Post a Comment