The Virus Trivia thread

[Pappa]

Post anything you know about common or lesser-known viruses or viruses in general, their evolution, vectors of transmission, known or assumed mechanisms by which they continue existing. Anything you've ever heard or read about viruses that's interesting enough to mention.

[Pappa]

From another thread:

I discovered today that HPV-1 (Herpes simplex), the virus which usually causes Cold Sores, is present in 80% of the population and most people contract it between the ages of 3 and 5 by being kissed by a family member. In the vast majority of people it is asymptomatic, residing dormantly in a nerve under the skin, though it can still spread whilst dormant through viral shedding. The actual Cold Sore symptoms occur only in response to certain triggers, such as illness, stress, exposure to UV light and various others. Mostly the trigger is something which temporarily compromises the immune system (not in the case of UV though, which activates the virus directly).

[Pappa]

Anyone got a digital copy of The Extended Phenotype? Fancy posting that bit about our symptoms to colds and flus?

[Horwood Beer-Master]

Viruses can catch viruses..,

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2 ... k_furt.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_virophage

[Dory]

From another thread:

I discovered today that HPV-1 (Herpes simplex), the virus which usually causes Cold Sores, is present in 80% of the population and most people contract it between the ages of 3 and 5 by being kissed by a family member. In the vast majority of people it is asymptomatic, residing dormantly in a nerve under the skin, though it can still spread whilst dormant through viral shedding. The actual Cold Sore symptoms occur only in response to certain triggers, such as illness, stress, exposure to UV light and various others. Mostly the trigger is something which temporarily compromises the immune system (not in the case of UV though, which activates the virus directly).

These are nice facts, but you forgot the most important one --> if you get it on your penis it'll be bigger-looking! Sure, uglier, but bigger-looking!

Hmm...maybe Tigger is right about me...

[Link]

I was going to start a thread for the below link, but I may as well drop it here


http://www.kurzweilai.net/protein-that- ... discovered

A protein that destroys the HIV virus in Rhesus Monkeys has been discovered and they're looking at trying to create a working Anti-Virus for humans.

In 2004, other researchers reported that TRIM5a protects rhesus monkeys from HIV. The TRIM5a protein first latches on to a HIV virus, then other TRIM5a proteins gang up and destroy the virus.

[Dory]

Viruses can catch viruses..,

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2 ... k_furt.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_virophage

Yea...the virophages...soon we'll discover that there are types of viruses that can infect virophages.

[Feck]

The women of the Fore tribe are 8 times more likely to get Kuru (CJD ) because the men get the choice cuts of meat at their cannibal feasts .

[Pappa]

In the USSR they used and studied bacteriophages for decades (while in the West they were mostly ignored once vaccinations became common). I read a few months ago that bacteriophages are now being developed again to fight disease. Too lazy to google for links... sowee.

[Pappa]

The women of the Fore tribe are 8 times more likely to get Kuru (CJD ) because the men get the choice cuts of meat at their cannibal feasts .

I read that in Papua New Guinea (I think), the native inhabitants have evolved an imunity to prion disease caused by eating human brains. They're the only known human group to have this particular mutation.

[Link]

In the USSR they used and studied bacteriophages for decades (while in the West they were mostly ignored once vaccinations became common). I read a few months ago that bacteriophages are now being developed again to fight disease. Too lazy to google for links... sowee.

In Soviet Russie bacteriophages study you!

[Feck]

In the USSR they used and studied bacteriophages for decades (while in the West they were mostly ignored once vaccinations became common). I read a few months ago that bacteriophages are now being developed again to fight disease. Too lazy to google for links... sowee.

Yes they used to sample the hospital sewer if a drug resistant microbe outbreak started hunt for and culture phages specific to that bacteria .

they collect your families shit and feed it you as a treatment in the UK .... ask the Dawtor !!!

[mistermack]

These are nice facts, but you forgot the most important one --> if you get it on your penis it'll be bigger-looking! Sure, uglier, but bigger-looking!

Hmm...maybe Tigger is right about me...

Confuscious say "always marry woman with small hands, make plick look big!"
.