Frank Ryan - Virusphere

Viruses and their associated illnesses can be very puzzling. Ever since we first discovered their enigmatic presence among us, questions have inevitably arisen as to the evolutionary purpose behind their behaviours. When faced with the unpleasant, sometimes life-threatening, effects of virus infections, we are inclined to wonder what possible benefit such behaviour might confer on the virus. In the case of the poliovirus we saw how it appears to be mere happenstance that the virus causes serious illness in a tiny minority of those it infects. But there are other viruses that sweep through the human population and inflict dreadful patterns of illnesses in the majority of those infected, sometimes accompanied by a high mortality. This is all the more baffling since all that matters to the virus is its survival and successful replication. Survival of the virus must surely be threatened by killing its host. When one views the same question from a medical perspective, we are inclined to question: why are some viruses so deadly?

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