Ebola again in Africa...and another nasty virus called Nipah in India too. I mean, what's the purpose of those virus? Just to be killing humans for the sake of killing? Could be an evolutionary purpose?
The Threat From Ebola by Somebody Who Discovered It
by cofty 16 Replies latest social current
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cofty
I mean, what's the purpose of those virus? - mikeflood
A virus has no purpose. Arguably it isn't even 'life', it's just a chunk of DNA (actually RNA in the case of ebola) that gets replicated by hijacking the cellular machinery of its host.
Just to be killing humans for the sake of killing?
It lives harmlessly in fruit bats. It transfers to humans through bushmeat after which it becomes lethal and passes on through bodily fluids.
Could be an evolutionary purpose?
Human DNA has evolved to maximise its chances of being passed to future generations. But like every organism so has virus DNA. Unfortunately the relationship between our genomes is not symbiotic. Virus DNA/RNA does not intend to kill its host but neither does it care. From the perspective of ebola human death is collateral damage.
The risk of a global epidemic is real.
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Simon
Global travel has made it far more of a threat than it was in the 70's.
The recent case of people escaping from hospital / quarantine and possibly spreading the virus to larger population centres is straight out of movie plots about outbreaks.
Even worse, if there were a major outbreak, I think we lack the political will and sense to put travel restrictions in place - too many would see it as being discriminatory against Ebola carriers and that they should be allowed in.
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amicabl
Science.
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dropoffyourkeylee
Interesting interview, thanks for posting it. It recalls to mind a thread on this site a couple of years ago:
Where one of the outbreaks of Ebola in Zaire (Congo DR now) first hit a JW family.
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dropoffyourkeylee
Piot was not saying the nuns caused Ebola but that their practices spread it much faster