NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, so i am no specialist on anything in science. But I have this question about HIV/AIDs. If we worry about viruses such as bird flu or what not, mutating into a communicable disease betweeen humans, why don't we worry about HIV/AIDs mutating into a virus that is spread through means of the air? Technically, shouldn't it have done so at some point, as to adapt and infect more organisms? Please don't laugh at my ignorance too much :)

I think it's best not to worry too much about these things, because if you worry, you spend your whole time not doing more constructive things, until one day you end up being hit by a bus.

It's a retrovirus.

It lives in specific, specialized cells. In order for transmission to occur, those live cells infected with HIV must move from one organism to another.

There was some concern that blood drinking insects could spread it, but apparently, it's not likely, as the live cells are rapidly lysed in the gut of insects, making transmission impossible.

Other virii are more hardy, and do not require the living cell to exist.

I'm no scientist, but i'm guessing that HIV probably isn't going to mutate. Basicly because it doesn't need to as it is not under threat, nor does it find it difficult to travel from person to person.

I'm no scientist, but i'm guessing that HIV probably isn't going to mutate. Basicly because it doesn't need to as it is not under threat, nor does it find it difficult to travel from person to person.
It does mutate quite a bit.

I've heard of it referred to as a quasi-species, because it varies so much.

It's a retrovirus.

It lives in specific, specialized cells. In order for transmission to occur, those live cells infected with HIV must move from one organism to another.

There was some concern that blood drinking insects could spread it, but apparently, it's not likely, as the live cells are rapidly lysed in the gut of insects, making transmission impossible.

Other virii are more hardy, and do not require the living cell to exist.


So you are saying that it won't evolve into a new strand that will attack through airborne means? I had always assumed it would have been more effecient to do so. Oh well. -shrugs-

So you are saying that it won't evolve into a new strand that will attack through airborne means? I had always assumed it would have been more effecient to do so. Oh well. -shrugs-
As long as it's a retrovirus, no.

I'm no scientist, but i'm guessing that HIV probably isn't going to mutate. Basicly because it doesn't need to as it is not under threat, nor does it find it difficult to travel from person to person.

Heh. It mutates like mad, which is why the bugger is so hard to kill. Rapid mutation is one of a virus's most important weapons. That said, though, the particular mutation being brought up in this thread is extremely unlikely.

It does mutate quite a bit.

I've heard of it referred to as a quasi-species, because it varies so much.

Lol, thats my attempt at science out of the window then.

Yep, first of all, it mutates all the time. That is the reason why it is so difficult to make a cure for it, even if something does work against it, there are always virus parts that are already adapted to the cure because of an accidental mutation and they live on and keep reproducing. Did you know that humans probably got HIV from apes, they (apes) have something similar but it has a different name, at some point along the way humans ate apes or something and then the disease mutated into a form that used humans (instead of apes) as its host.

the HIV virus is a very fast mutating virus. However, there are several problems for it to become airborne. First of all, as mentioned before, it is a retrovirus, which needs direct contact between specific cells. HIV also cannot exist in oxygen. For all intents and purposes, the moment it leaves the body and touches oxygen, it is dead. In order to overcome this, it would need a much thicker protein layer.
the influenza virii are already airborne. What we are concerned about with them is a mutation to make them infectious to humans. This could be as simple as one or two protein changes.

I'm no scientist, but i'm guessing that HIV probably isn't going to mutate. Basicly because it doesn't need to as it is not under threat, nor does it find it difficult to travel from person to person.
It's already mutated.

the HIV virus is a very fast mutating virus. However, there are several problems for it to become airborne. First of all, as mentioned before, it is a retrovirus, which needs direct contact between specific cells. HIV also cannot exist in oxygen. For all intents and purposes, the moment it leaves the body and touches oxygen, it is dead. In order to overcome this, it would need a much thicker protein layer.
the influenza virii are already airborne. What we are concerned about with them is a mutation to make them infectious to humans. This could be as simple as one or two protein changes.

yep, and seeing as HIV/AIDS is already infectious to humans.... but it pretty much happened the same way seeing as at some point in history a retrovirus similar to HIV mutated to become infectious to humans

So you are saying that it won't evolve into a new strand that will attack through airborne means? I had always assumed it would have been more effecient to do so. Oh well. -shrugs-
He says it's very unlikely, given its nature. Not all viruses can or need to adapt to be more efficient, just to be efficient enough. Otherwise, all of them would be airborne.

The mutations that would be required for airborne communicability of the HIV would be incredibly thorough, and would require for the entire physical build of the virus itself to change, so as to be more tolerable to changes in temperature, and not be so easily harmed by UV light.

Bird Flu is more likely to change, because the genetic mutations that would be required are pretty tiny. Of course, the odds of the appropriate mutation are very tiny, and we probably shouldn't really worry about the bird flu anyways.

Ok, so i am no specialist on anything in science. But I have this question about HIV/AIDs. If we worry about viruses such as bird flu or what not, mutating into a communicable disease betweeen humans, why don't we worry about HIV/AIDs mutating into a virus that is spread through means of the air? Technically, shouldn't it have done so at some point, as to adapt and infect more organisms? Please don't laugh at my ignorance too much :)

The little demons (that you call HIV) that God sent to punish gay people are afraid of sunlight, that's why they can only hide inside bodies.

The little demons (that you call HIV) that God sent to punish gay people are afraid of sunlight, that's why they can only hide inside bodies.


Oh, i think that is hands down the best explanation.

The little demons (that you call HIV) that God sent to punish gay people are afraid of sunlight, that's why they can only hide inside bodies.
OK, there are a few things a matter with that. HIV is in plenty of heterosexual people too...it spreads between both...And a virus can't be afraid of something, it doesn't think, it just survives.

OK, there are a few things a matter with that. HIV is in plenty of heterosexual people too...it spreads between both...And a virus can't be afraid of something, it doesn't think, it just survives.
Psst. Sarcasm.

OK, there are a few things a matter with that. HIV is in plenty of heterosexual people too...it spreads between both...And a virus can't be afraid of something, it doesn't think, it just survives.
psst...that was a joke. You know, something that you can laugh at...

OK, there are a few things a matter with that. HIV is in plenty of heterosexual people too...it spreads between both...And a virus can't be afraid of something, it doesn't think, it just survives.

It spreads more rapidly amongst populations that engage in anal sex. Gays, the urban poor in America, and Africans in general (the urban poor and Africans use anal sex as birth control).

The odds of transmission are three orders of magnitude higher in populations that routinely engage in anal sex - even with a condom.

The plural of virus is not "virii." It is "viruses." There is no Latin plural for virus as "virus" in Latin is uncountable. Also, it is nouns that end in "-ius" that get the "-ii" plural, and virus does not end in "-ius."

So, all you people who use "virii" to come off as clever because you think you're using a Latin plural - please, stop. It's just plain old wrong, and it shows you don't know much about language at all.

It's like people who pluralise "octopus" as "octopi," despite it being a Greek word and thus being incapable of having a Latin plural. The Greek plural is "octopodes" and the English one is "octopuses." Oh, and those who seem to think the plural of "penis" is "penii." Again, doesn't end in -ius, and has the plural form "penes" or "penises."

//Pet-peeve.

The plural of virus is not "virii." It is "viruses." There is no Latin plural for virus as "virus" in Latin is uncountable. Also, it is nouns that end in "-ius" that get the "-ii" plural, and virus does not end in "-ius."

So, all you people who use "virii" to come off as clever because you think you're using a Latin plural - please, stop. It's just plain old wrong, and it shows you don't know much about language at all.

It's like people who pluralise "octopus" as "octopi," despite it being a Greek word and thus being incapable of having a Latin plural. The Greek plural is "octopodes" and the English one is "octopuses." Oh, and those who seem to think the plural of "penis" is "penii." Again, doesn't end in -ius, and has the plural form "penes" or "penises."

//Pet-peeve.

VIRII

Ok, so i am no specialist on anything in science. But I have this question about HIV/AIDs. If we worry about viruses such as bird flu or what not, mutating into a communicable disease betweeen humans, why don't we worry about HIV/AIDs mutating into a virus that is spread through means of the air? Technically, shouldn't it have done so at some point, as to adapt and infect more organisms? Please don't laugh at my ignorance too much :)

Keeping it simple and stupid. ;)

The HIV Virus mutates at an incredble rate but....

It can't survive outside a host for very long. UV, even from sunlight, kills it very quickly. Aerosol transmission is thus not a viable transmission vector, unlike in diseases like TB which are robust and can survive outside a host.