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No, I'm not talking about computer viruses, I'm talking about tiny strands of RNA that can hijack our cells and turn them into factories for reproducing itself.
We've seen a number of threatened pandemics in recent times. Bird flu, Ebola, AIDS, SARS and others have all been pitched as a potential apocalypse for mankind but fortunately, none of these have been nearly as damaging to our species as some had suggested.
However, there's a new virus on the block and I'm surprised that there isn't more concern over its long-term effects on the population of the planet.
I'm talking about the Zika virus.
The effects of the Zika virus are relatively mild. A bit of a fever, a rash and general malaise are the primary symptoms but nothing life-threatening in itself but it could still pose a major threat to mankind.
There is no vaccine or treatment for this virus so the current pandemic (yes, there has been a pandemic spread of this virus since 2007) looks likely to continue unabated.
Right now I suspect most people are asking "If it's not fatal, why does it pose a threat to our future?"
Well the real threat comes from the effect this virus has on unborn foetuses.
Women who are infected whilst pregnant carry a much greater risk of their children being born with microcephaly.
Microcephaly is a birth defect in which the newborn has a dramatically underdeveloped brain and cranium. The prognosis for those born with this condition is not good and few live to puberty. Because of this, the Zika virus, if it continues to spread, could effectively become a form of viral sterilization within the human and primate populations.
The primary vector for this virus is the mosquito. Fortunately for us in NZ there doesn't seem to be any viable species that could act as a method of transmission here.
However, given the effects of global warming, it's probably only a matter of time before our climate changes to a degree that allows the survival of such mosquitoes. This will mean that not only Zika virus but a host of other similarly spread diseases (such as dengue fever and even malaria) may become established here.
All those other potentially apocalyptic viruses such as ebola, HIV, SARS, etc., failed to decimate our population because we, as a species, have a naturally evolving resistance to such diseases and have been able to control their spread. How effective would these strategies be for controlling a virus that doesn't affect us much at all -- but effectively acts within the womb to kill the next generation before they can reproduce?
We're the smartest species on the planet -- but we could still be outsmarted by a thin strand of RNA.
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