3 ms·
Anything able to live in there has never had a chance to infect any vertebrate, so it's unlikely that it would be able to infect a mammal. Mutation alone won't
by takluyver 13y ago
Anything able to live in there has never had a chance to infect any vertebrate, so it's unlikely that it would be able to infect a mammal. Mutation alone won't do the trick with no selective pressure for virulence.
- sukuriant 13y agoAgreed; though I could imagine some unfortunate situation where the cells of the creatures themselves are unusually sharp, for some selective-pressure reason, and able to withstand more acidic pH (it was in salt for a long, long time), and combined, those cause problems in a person, like asbestos but for the intestines. More biologically minded people would probably roll their eyes at my idea, but it's what went through my mind and wanted some input.
- Apocryphon 13y agoSuddenly, I am reminded of the Rifters trilogy by Peter Watts. Available free to read thanks to Creative Commons: http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm