New Drug Helps Prevent A Cough From Being Contagious

University of Alberta researchers have developed an experimental new drug that may be able to completely eliminate airborne disease transmission due to cough.

The way this drug works is by reducing/eliminating the amount of droplets that is expelled during a cough by changing the properties of the lung fluid. The drug comes in the form of a spray that can be inhaled by a sick patient.

It is conceived that this drug would help stop the spread of pandemic outbreaks as well as protect healthcare professionals from catching whatever an ill coughing patient may have. Furthermore, this drug would not necessarily be disease specific. If there's a cough, it'll work.

Reference:
Effect of artificial mucus properties on the characteristics of airborne bioaerosol droplets generated during simulated coughing. Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/j.jnnfm.2010.07.005

New Reason for Chronic Cough... Playing the Trombone!

NPR published a story on Sept 8, 2010 regarding a trombone player whose chronic cough for over 15 years was ultimately found to be due to a mold called fusarium as well as mycobacterium (cousin to TB) found growing inside his trombone. Each time he inhaled while playing the trombone, these germs inside his trombone was causing an allergic reaction, which led to hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a severe inflammation of the lungs.

The doctor who figured out the problem went on to investigate other wind/brass instruments of other players and found them all contaminated with germs. His results have been published in the journal Chest.

Though the NPR story was on this particular trombone player (whose cough improved once he started cleaning his instrument regularly), the problem is NOT new...

Here's a report on a saxophone player.

There is also this one company called MaestroMD that claims to help with musical instrument sterilization.

This issue was so concerning in Massachusetts, that a law is being passed to require sterilization of musical instruments in schools! Read more here.

I even wrote a blog article about this problem back in January 7, 2010.

In any case, how does the trombone player featured in the NPR story now clean his instrument? He uses a rod with a cloth and alcohol — rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol which he pours down into his instrument after playing.

References:
Trombone Player's Lung: A Probable New Cause of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. Chest. 2010 Sep;138(3):754-6.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Due to Molds in a Saxophone Player. CHEST September 2010 vol. 138 no. 3 724-726.

A microbiological survey into the presence of clnically significant bacteria in the mouthpieces and internal surfaces of woodwind and brass musical instruments.

Horn with nasty microbes.

Is Cancer Contagious? Well... it depends...

The literal answer to this question is YES... Cancer CAN be contagious, but only if you are a tasmanian devil, hamster, or a dog.

Fortunately, cancer has NOT been found to be contagious in humans... yet...

At this time, the only cancers I am aware of that is contagious are found in the animal world. And even in that world, there are only 3.

1) Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) which causes a contagious cancer of the face in Tasmanian Devils ultimately resulting in death. The cancer originates in the Schwann cells and is suspected to spread when bits of cancer comes into contact with an open wound via biting (which Tasmanian Devils do a lot of to each other).

2) Canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is passed between dogs via sexual activity and has been known to science for about 100 years.

3) Contagious reticulum cell sarcoma of the Syrian hamster which can be transmitted from one Syrian hamster to another by means of the bite of the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

SO... the answer to whether cancer is contagious is YES!!! But not (so far) in humans.

Read more about how cancer may become contagious in this Harper's Magazine article published in 2008.