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Old 01-15-09, 05:41 PM   #15
August
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl
Quote:
Originally Posted by August
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl
An alien virus set loose in a world with no built-in immunity from millions of years of natural selection could easily wipe out the majority of suitable hosts on the planet in very little time.
Especially given rapid transportation and large populations. Heck we're pretty vulnerable to "home grown" virus's.
Oh, not as much as you might think. Granted, individuals are very susceptible, but as a species, we're pretty resistant. Any guess what our most effective defense is?

hint- it's something people think about all the time and yet never realize why we have it
Well Racial variation would be my guess but that is not a foolproof defense against every virus. Think Ebola with a longer incubation period between infection and noticeable symptoms. It's quite possible that a virus will come along that overcomes our resistances and outpaces our containment efforts.
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