Science & Technology, Canada (Commonwealth Union) – Immunologists have often indicated that milder infections can be beneficial, hence hyper cleanliness is often considered a factor that can have a negative impact on the overall immunity.
A new study with fish has demonstrated that waiting prior to reaching for medications may be advantageous for humans.
University of Alberta researchers have suggested that it could be better to allow a mild fever run its course rather than reaching for medication straight away.
The researchers discovered that untreated moderate fever assisted fish clear their bodies of infection quicker, controlled inflammation and fixed damaged tissue.
Fish can develop a fever, which is usually a sign of an underlying infection or disease. Fish do not have a body temperature like mammals, but their body temperature is influenced by their environment. If the water temperature rises above the normal range for a particular species, it can stress the fish and compromise its immune system, making it more susceptible to infections.
“We let nature do what nature does, and in this case it was very much a positive thing,” explained immunologist Daniel Barreda, lead author on the study who is also a joint professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Science.
Moderate fever fixes itself where the body can both induce it as well as shut it down naturally with no medication, according to Barreda.
He further indicated that health benifits of natural fever to humans still require confirmation via research, “but because the mechanisms driving and sustaining fever are shared among animals, it is reasonable to expect similar benefits are going to happen in humans,” he adds.
That points in the direction that we should resist reaching for over-the-counter fever medications, also referred to as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), at the 1st signs of a mild temperature, he indicated.
“NSAIDS take away the discomfort felt with fever, but you’re also likely giving away some of the benefits of this natural response.”
The research had shed light on the mechanisms playing a role in the benefits of moderate fever, which “has been evolutionarily conserved across the animal kingdom for 550 million years,” added Barreda. “Every animal examined has this biological response to infection.”
It was also shown that certain species, like fish, reptiles and insects, will even risk predation and lower their reproductive success to transfer into temperatures in their atmosphere that lead to natural fever.
“So the big question is, if animals will go to these great lengths, why do we take medication at the first signs of a fever?”
The study involved, fish being given a bacterial infection followed by their behavior being monitored and evaluated with the application of machine learning. Outward symptoms had shown similarities to those observed in humans with fever, that included immobility, fatigue and malaise. These were then matched to vital immune mechanisms within the animals.
The study demonstrated that natural fever provides an integrative response that doesn’t just activates defenses against infection, but further assists in controlling it,” according to Barreda.
The scientists discovered that fever assisted in clearing the fish of infection in roughly 7 days, which was half the time it took for those animals not permitted to exert fever.
Fever further assisted in shutting down inflammation and repair tissues previously injured.
“This works much like turning off a car, rather than leaving it running, after you are finished driving. It saves energy and prevents additional damage,” said Barreda.
The results may also asist veterinarians and livestock producers manage illness in the animals they work with as pointed out by Barreda.
Ultimately, Barreda has hopes that the findings will assist in striking a healthy balance between treating fever as well as having its benefits.
