Immunology Question

[Bodom]

Why wouldn’t you use serum from someone with immunity to a bacterial infection to protect another from the same type of infection?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TheBoondocks]

Why wouldn't you use serum from someone with immunity to a bacterial infection to protect another from the same type of infection?

They do, it's call artificial passive immunity. When someone gets rabies. They vaccinate them, artifical active immunity, but that takes awhile. They also give them antibodies to fight it off immediately. They don't take it from another person normally. They artificially make it.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

They do, it's call artificial passive immunity. When someone gets rabies. They vaccinate them, artifical active immunity, but that takes awhile. They also give them antibodies to fight it off immediately. They don't take it from another person normally. They make it in a non-human animal (sheep are often used).

I made a slight change above.

 

[coffeebythelake]

I made a slight change above.

yes.

 

[zayka]

If the serum contains live bacteria, then it may not be such a good idea. You want to give the person dead or non-harmful version of the bacteria so they can make antibodies and memory cells and all that jazz.
If you're also jsut injective serum wth some antibodies to the bacteria, that also won't really work because obviously those will be recycled in the blood and won't stay in the system for an extended time.