3 ms·
>Are we victims of a million-to-one chance mutation, but a chance that become steadily more likely as time progressed? Further, is it just a fact of life that w
by Grazester 12y ago
>Are we victims of a million-to-one chance mutation, but a chance that become steadily more likely as time progressed?
Further, is it just a fact of life that we can - and should >- expect another HIV-level-of-infection virus to emerge in the future?
Isn't this how viruses work? They can mutate and become more efficient at what they do.
Also if SIV has been around for thousands of years then it's not like it mutated overnight into a lethal strain of HIV.
- hga 12y agoThat's not strictly "more efficient", at least in that notable zoonotic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonosis) viruses tend to be noted because they're more lethal when they jump from an animal to humans. They've been observed to adapt over time to be less, or less quickly lethal, because those sorts of adaptational mutations allow more viral spread. Of course we don't always notice this because if e.g. an influenza were to adapt to the level of causing a "cold", we wouldn't necessarily notice. See the other comment on how SIV just might have "mutated overnight", in that modern conditions allowed it to spread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV#Origins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV#Origins