Posted on 01/07/2009 3:42:14 PM PST by Mother Abigail
Thanks for your intelligent, knowledgeable remarks. You are certainly patient.
Emerging viruses always seem distant and harmless, until they’re not.
“Pigs are quite good at mixing and matching viral DNA”
You are right except about the DNA. Viruses do not have DNA. They reproduce by taking over living cells, and create copies generated from their RNA.
The difference is important because DNA has mechanisms to ensure that the code is copied correctly, which limits mutation. RNA does not have anything to ensure that the code is copied correctly. This results in numerous mutations or copy errors. Most of the mutations are harmful to the virus, but a small percent is actually neutral or helpful. This allows viruses to mutate at such a rapid rate.
Pigs are one of the few animals that can carry human borne viruses. If this is a human strain of Ebola, then it isn’t a big deal. If it is an animal borne strain, that isn’t adapted to humans it could be bad news.
Good point. It should have read “Pigs are quite good at mixing and matching viral RNA”
As you say the lack of code protecting mechanisms could make this very dangerous.
No sarcasm.
Hey! No reason I should be the only one who can’t sleep!
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