MicroJournal Entry #3 - Encounter

While visiting a close family friend, over the Christmas break, I noticed that all four of her children were sneezing and showed signs of stuffiness. The parents, Mike* and Angie* were not suffering like their kids. This made me very curious and so I asked Angie how come all the children were stuffy and sneezing but she and Mike weren't. Angie was not 100% sure, but she believed her kids got something from a friend at school. In my mind I wondered, "why haven't you or Mike caught it from them?"

My curiosity continued to grow and I could not figure out the exact reason behind this mystery. In Microbiology class this semester, I have learnt about microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria. A virus, orthomyxoviridae, causes influenza in humans. The virus is easily spread from one person to another. This may be the virus the children mentioned above had. Angie and Mike must have been immune to it because of antibodies in their systems. As I continue to learn, I will understand how antibodies work to fight off infections. For now, I'm very happy to have learnt such valuable information and look forward to that which is ahead.

Everyday we are exposed to microorganisms but we don't always know it. They are far too small to be visible to our human eyes. Some are helpful to us, others are not.

(*Names changed to protect the privacy of my friends.)