SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: DMaA who wrote (149064)11/28/2005 1:01:58 PM
From: carranza2   of 794104
 
If that is how viruses worked, you'd be right, but they don't.

Like all life forms, they are subject to the laws of evolution and natural selection. A mutation that increases the numbers of hosts as well as the distribution of the virus will be much more successful than one that doesn't depending, of course, on a lot of factors. Humans and birds seem to provide great Petri dishes for allowing these kinds of life forms to flourish.

This is the extent of my knowledge about H5N1 and viruses in general. I rely on Henry, who is a tremendously gifted scientist. If he's concerned, I think we should all be. And as I appreciate it, he thinks that a mutation involving the ability for the virus to engage in human-to-human transmission is probably just a matter of time.

It may already reached human-tp-human transmission as Henry notes that it took place in Indonesia in September. I don't know what happened afterwards.

recombinomics.com

Naturally, I hope he's wrong but if he is it won't be because his science is ill-considered or somehow not valid. In any event, I think he mostly speaks of probabilities and not certainties.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext