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Feb 20, 2009 14:35
15 yrs ago
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English term

wild

English Medical Medical (general) Smallpox
What is the meaning of "wild" in reference to diseases, esp. smallpox? Ex: The last case of wild smallpox occurred in 1977.
Responses
4 +6 as opposed to "controlled (in a laboratory)"
5 rampant
4 in the environment/ non-laboratory strain

Discussion

Derek Gill Franßen Feb 20, 2009:
Personally, I do not think it means that, but rather a virus that is found "in the wild" and not in a controlled environment. That is how I understand the word as used in the sentence you provided.
Mahammad Kalfat (X) (asker) Feb 20, 2009:
wildtype, wild-type Could it be describing the virus itself (as an organism)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_type

And hence, is it technically a non-mutant virus?

Responses

+6
3 mins
Selected

as opposed to "controlled (in a laboratory)"

Also see http://www.emedicinehealth.com/smallpox/article_em.htm

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Note added at 4 mins (2009-02-20 14:39:11 GMT)
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From the link above: "Only two laboratories in the world are known to house smallpox virus: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology in Koltsovo, Russia."
Peer comment(s):
agree Catherine Winzer
0 min
Thank you, Catherine. :)
agree Enza Longo : yes, a natural strain of the disease
6 mins
Yes, exactly--thank you. :)
agree Sheila Wilson : accidental rather than by design (eg an animal being exposed to it in a lab.)
1 hr
agree Demi Ebrite
2 hrs
agree Michael Barnett : It has nothing to do with accidents. The virus out in the community, causing disease, is the "wild" virus. The lab virus, used for manufacture of the vaccine is its counterpart.
12 hrs
agree Phong Le
22 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Derek and all."
7 hrs

rampant

rampant , Unrestrained and violent, "rampant aggression"

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Note added at 7 hrs (2009-02-20 22:28:29 GMT)
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When it got out of control in the community, and caused a lot of death, It was a Rampant smallpox strain.
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3 days 23 hrs

in the environment/ non-laboratory strain

in the environment/ non-laboratory strain

The last case of wild smallpox occurred in 1977. The last reported case of non-wild smallpox infection occurred in 1978 when two people contracted the disease after exposure to the virus in a lab.
Reference:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1190.html

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