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Birds eye view-the view of the world from H5N1's perspective
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:47 pm
by BGoodForGoodSake
Imagine seeing the world from the perspective of a virus. Each organism is akin to a separate planet or biosphere. Some are more hostile than others. Once you colonize a "planet" you only have a few thousand generations until the planet's native lifeforms attack your colony. In many cases the outcome is the very destruction of the system.
H5N1 is a bird virus. To this virus the human being is a hostile environment. But the latest strain of this virus is able to survive in this environment. At this point the virus is only able to go from bird to bird, and very rarely bird to human. But it is probable that this will not remain the case.
The virus is spreading, there are now many reports of bird infection outside the epicenter, from Europe and Russia. The next bird to human transmission is likely to be in southeast asia due to cultural factors, but it could happen anywhere. When the virus will develop the ability for human to human transmission is impossible to tell.
At first the virus outbreak is likely to be very costly in terms of human life, killing millions of people. But the remainder of the population will be those who have a natural immunity to the virus. Successive outbreaks will be less devastating.
Re: Birds eye view-the view of the world from H5N1's perspec
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:52 pm
by Jbuza
BGoodForGoodSake wrote:Imagine seeing the world from the perspective of a virus. Each organism is akin to a separate planet or biosphere. Some are more hostile than others. Once you colonize a "planet" you only have a few thousand generations until the planet's native lifeforms attack your colony. In many cases the outcome is the very destruction of the system.
H5N1 is a bird virus. To this virus the human being is a hostile environment. But the latest strain of this virus is able to survive in this environment. At this point the virus is only able to go from bird to bird, and very rarely bird to human. But it is probable that this will not remain the case.
The virus is spreading, there are now many reports of bird infection outside the epicenter, from Europe and Russia. The next bird to human transmission is likely to be in southeast asia due to cultural factors, but it could happen anywhere. When the virus will develop the ability for human to human transmission is impossible to tell.
At first the virus outbreak is likely to be very costly in terms of human life, killing millions of people. But the remainder of the population will be those who have a natural immunity to the virus. Successive outbreaks will be less devastating.
Incredible isn't it. It most assuredly is adaptation at work. I am not sure how the life cycle of a virus works, but I thought they could only mutate upon transmission.? Look at how the bubonic plauge passed from a flea and killed large percentages of the population. We need to isolate the immunity factor that the surviving birds must have. Perhaps science can prevent the deaths. Viruses mutate, mustn't there be some studies done on mutation by viruses? Found one almost went to sleep.
Re: Birds eye view-the view of the world from H5N1's perspec
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 9:06 pm
by BGoodForGoodSake
Jbuza wrote:BGoodForGoodSake wrote:Imagine seeing the world from the perspective of a virus. Each organism is akin to a separate planet or biosphere. Some are more hostile than others. Once you colonize a "planet" you only have a few thousand generations until the planet's native lifeforms attack your colony. In many cases the outcome is the very destruction of the system.
H5N1 is a bird virus. To this virus the human being is a hostile environment. But the latest strain of this virus is able to survive in this environment. At this point the virus is only able to go from bird to bird, and very rarely bird to human. But it is probable that this will not remain the case.
The virus is spreading, there are now many reports of bird infection outside the epicenter, from Europe and Russia. The next bird to human transmission is likely to be in southeast asia due to cultural factors, but it could happen anywhere. When the virus will develop the ability for human to human transmission is impossible to tell.
At first the virus outbreak is likely to be very costly in terms of human life, killing millions of people. But the remainder of the population will be those who have a natural immunity to the virus. Successive outbreaks will be less devastating.
Incredible isn't it. It most assuredly is adaptation at work. I am not sure how the life cycle of a virus works, but I thought they could only mutate upon transmission.? Look at how the bubonic plauge passed from a flea and killed large percentages of the population. We need to isolate the immunity factor that the surviving birds must have. Perhaps science can prevent the deaths. Viruses mutate, mustn't there be some studies done on mutation by viruses?
Mutations can occur in numerous ways.
Yes there are plenty of studies. When explosed to a new environment the preexisting biochemistry is stressed. Mutations occur within the new host.
The same goes with the use of antibiotics and bacterial infections. The stress forces bacteria to either cope or die. Individual bacteria do not cope within a generation, however certain advantageous attributes can be passed onto successive generations. The adaptivity is between generations.