Do you remember how the invading aliens were finally defeated in H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds'? It was by lethal infection by microscopic pathogens. In this case science fiction comes close to reality as the human race is in a constant battle with the bacteria that colonize our bodies.
I've been reading up some references, namely WHO position papers on immunization against on pneumococcus, one of the bacteria that causes pneumonia. This bacteria is carried by toddlers in their noses and can cause sinusitis or middle ear infections if it strays to those places, or more serious septicemia if it gets into the bloodstream, meningitis in the brain or pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs. Beware the snotty toddler!
Recent epidemiological studies show that if sufficient children are vaccinated the incidence of pneumonia in all age groups goes down dramatically in all age groups due to what is termed the Herd Effect. Through vaccination programs, we are causing massive worldwide shifts in the microflora of bacteria. Some strains that the vaccines target are dying out and bay be eradicated all together, while others, through Darwinian survival of the fittest are emerging to take their place. It is fascinating to think how fast the universe of micro-organisms is shifting and adapting to the environmental pressures we place on them through medical interventions.
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