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I can see why some old names are preferred: > Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing Also: > French pox - Syphilis Fun

I can see why some old names are preferred: > Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing Also: > French pox - Syphilis Fun fact about Syphilis, each nation called it after the nation they thought they got it from. The French call it the Italian disease, Italians call it French, Turks call it Christian, Russians call it Polish, Dutch call it Spanish, ...

Armisael16 5y ago
Cholera is still the preferred name for infection by Vibrio cholerae.
- Fomite 5y ago
  This is one on the list that genuinely confuses me - Cholera is still very much in use as a medical and epidemiological term. There are several others. "Dengue" is something we're currently developing vaccines for, not some Olde Tyme Plague.
vmception 5y ago
I’ve travelled enough to hear urban legends slightly distorted Basically anywhere you go in the world there is a group of people that “has genes that dont metabolise alcohol” and this is presented as scientific fact with no study existing whatsoever, and masquaraded as the tolerant way of acknowledging problems integrating with that group of people “But I heard from” doesnt matter who you heard it from, show the study and show why it is a good study, or drop the idea completely (or fund the study) It can be the US, the UK, Central Europe, Asia, people repeat the same thing about another group of people in that area. Maybe its true in one of those places about one of those people. Or not.
- wahern 5y ago
  It's a real thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction Ask anyone who possess two copies of the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-deficient allele.[1] Or if you want objective data, look at incidence of esophageal cancer relative to alcohol consumption. It's just not as universal in various communities as sometimes assumed. And rather than make one more prone to alcoholism (i.e. as might be believed wrt Native Americans), the current scientific conjecture is that it makes one less susceptible because of the discomfort. Though, needless to say, indulging in such conjectures doesn't have a great track record, with or without the imprimatur of science. There are few if any facts that can't be twisted to serve some cultural prejudice. [1] 23andMe.com test for these polymorphisms. I presume similar genetic tests do, too, as the function is so well established.
  - vmception 5y ago
    Yes great overview and that allele frequency graph is the best! I didnt know how to articulate it and assumed someone would just deflect toward east asian.

Armisael16 5y ago

Cholera is still the preferred name for infection by Vibrio cholerae.

Fomite 5y ago
This is one on the list that genuinely confuses me - Cholera is still very much in use as a medical and epidemiological term. There are several others. "Dengue" is something we're currently developing vaccines for, not some Olde Tyme Plague.

vmception 5y ago

I’ve travelled enough to hear urban legends slightly distorted Basically anywhere you go in the world there is a group of people that “has genes that dont metabolise alcohol” and this is presented as scientific fact with no study existing whatsoever, and masquaraded as the tolerant way of acknowledging problems integrating with that group of people “But I heard from” doesnt matter who you heard it from, show the study and show why it is a good study, or drop the idea completely (or fund the study) It can be the US, the UK, Central Europe, Asia, people repeat the same thing about another group of people in that area. Maybe its true in one of those places about one of those people. Or not.

wahern 5y ago
It's a real thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction Ask anyone who possess two copies of the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-deficient allele.[1] Or if you want objective data, look at incidence of esophageal cancer relative to alcohol consumption. It's just not as universal in various communities as sometimes assumed. And rather than make one more prone to alcoholism (i.e. as might be believed wrt Native Americans), the current scientific conjecture is that it makes one less susceptible because of the discomfort. Though, needless to say, indulging in such conjectures doesn't have a great track record, with or without the imprimatur of science. There are few if any facts that can't be twisted to serve some cultural prejudice. [1] 23andMe.com test for these polymorphisms. I presume similar genetic tests do, too, as the function is so well established.
- vmception 5y ago
  Yes great overview and that allele frequency graph is the best! I didnt know how to articulate it and assumed someone would just deflect toward east asian.