The Virus: Infection

1.1

Virus.
Definition: Latin for poison.
1. An ultramicroscopic, metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts.
2. (informal) A viral disease.
3. A corrupting influence on morals or the intellect.
4. A segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program.

The virus is the ultimate manipulator. After entering its host cell, the virus will then proceed to hijack the cell for its own nefarious purposes. By all accounts, it is the most dominant predator in history, targeting every single species on the face of the planet. It shows no remorse, and no regret for its actions, epitomising the poster-child for 'evil'. Even if it appears to be defeated, the battleground is left so ravaged that it is never the same again. Approximately eight percent of the human genome is expected to be made of the remnants of a viral infection, the assault of which was fended off by ancestors long since deceased, leaving behind genetic residue that will stay with use for eternity. It is inside us, right now, and I for one, am not entirely comfortable with that thought.

Not content with its handiwork to date, the virus continues to haunt our steps. It is there when we are at our most destructive; seeping in through open wounds with the dirt, the filth and the rest of the pathogens. It is there when we are at our most intimate; the stray dog that follows 'Pleasure' home. In one form or another, the virus is everywhere. Even in the air you breathe. It is the single most commonly found biological entity in the world. Animals, plants, even bacteria... nothing can even begin to compare to nature's little Trojan horse. Its abundance can only be matched by its lethality. Pick your poison: 'bird flu'; 'swine flu'; 'SARS'; they're all viral. The same can be said for HIV; hepatitis; and herpes. Some forms of cancer are even able to be attributed to a viral infection. Ultimately, the biological virus, just like its technological or marketing counterpart, has just one goal in mind:

It wants to breed, no matter the cost.