If You Could Create A Disease...

Originally Posted by kskerr

Here is a disease I want created for real. Poison Ivy Necrotic Virus (or any name/kind) that infects and kills poison ivy and other urushiol producing plants. Also a bacteria, spore former, that will use urushiol as its primary carbon source (in other words eats it), Bacillus urushiolis. The reason I want a spore former is in case the plant comes back, the bacteria would be dormant waiting for it, the virus would likely have to be reintroduced, but if the bacteria does a good job getting rid of the oil then the plant should either be harmless or not as poisonous (I still want them erradicated).

Urushiol is the oil produced by poison ivy, oak, and sumac that causes the allergic reaction. http://www.poison-ivy.org/

Rabbits, birds and other forest animals eat poison ivy though. It doesn't affect them the way it does humans. If you took it away, you'd notice changes in the rabbit populations, and then in the populations of those aminals who eat rabbits, and so forth...

yes, you would disrupt the living ways of many lifeforms... but this is IDEALISTIC if thats even a word... anyways... i told my mmo that if we elimnated the commmon cold, much worse diseases would come and take the spots of the common cold...

[kskerr]

Originally Posted by Pollock II

Rabbits, birds and other forest animals eat poison ivy though. It doesn't affect them the way it does humans. If you took it away, you'd notice changes in the rabbit populations, and then in the populations of those aminals who eat rabbits, and so forth...

Potentially limiting rabbits at the same time, my disease just keeps getting better and better!!!! Though I have only heard of goats eating it, and if the rabbits were willing to eat it there would be none here since there are so many rabbits, Iowa is infested with both! The rabbits are not too bad, though they can be horrid garden pests, the deer are the ones that I dislike more as they destroyed my first batch of corn (bugs got the second). The animals can find something else to eat, I do not like the risk that horrid plant is to me and others, there are children all over and many of them internationals and so they have no clue why they are getting it and from where. Hmm, wonder if I make a big fuss the university will clean it up...

lol, but then again... we could just create a rub for that nasty ol' plant

There are special soaps on the market that dissolve the poison ivy oil pretty fast. I got poison ivy all over ym face once and I washed with the soap and it was gone in a day or 2.

does poison ivy itch?

[kskerr]

Originally Posted by mazuac

does poison ivy itch?

OK I scratched holes through my skin... I have never been suicidal in my life and I was very tempted to jump in front of the bus or off the bridge. I would spend a half hour doing absolutely nothing but scratching, I would even wake up scratching myself. I would rather have appendicitis again than have poison ivy again!!!

[kskerr]

Originally Posted by Pollock II

There are special soaps on the market that dissolve the poison ivy oil pretty fast. I got poison ivy all over ym face once and I washed with the soap and it was gone in a day or 2.

They did not work for me, I bought practically every treatment known to man. Then mine was septic so topical treatments were not enough, I needed drugs, doc had to up my dosage even since the first round did not work, he was shocked. Most of the oil dissolving treatments are best for within a few hours of exposure.

My mom's incredibly allergic to it. She'll puff up like a balloon animal.

I do too to some degree. I got poison ivy on my legs once and I scratched it till it bled, and then of course, that just made the whole thing worse because I had an itchy open wound!!

[kskerr]

Originally Posted by Pollock II

My mom's incredibly allergic to it. She'll puff up like a balloon animal.

I do too to some degree. I got poison ivy on my legs once and I scratched it till it bled, and then of course, that just made the whole thing worse because I had an itchy open wound!!

Icky oozy, bloody wounds for me, it was truely hideous, thank goodness I don't have a roommate!!! I wore long sleeves everywhere except home and the doc office and it was about 90 degrees out (during the heat wave), always wear long pants since I work in a lab. Since I have this other condition it made them turn purple and blue, it was attractive, bleck!!! To say the least I am extremely paranoid whenever I see anything even close to resembling poison ivy now.