March 24, 2004

Please don't eat the monkeys. People in Central Africa are eating bushmeat and they're getting currently non-fatal virus. Still, it's got experts worried.
  • We just shouldn't eat our cousins. It's not a good idea.
  • Very intersting - espeically considcering that they believe that AIDS spread to humans in much the same way. Seems they're worried about another widespread problem. Another link at the BBC, just for information.
  • "[A] team of researchers from the United States and Cameroon studied simian foamy virus..." If I had one chance to name a virus, I would not have a suggestion because it was just taken.
  • Would infections like viruses be less likely to spread if the folks eating the bushmeat would use better hygiene? I mean, when people don't have access to other viable sources of protein, they turn to whatever they have at hand. Could this be mitigated if they used better butchering and cooking methods? Any infectious disease specialists out there?
  • so we can't say "eat me" anymore around here?? well why don't we just put our pants back on then?! okay, okay . . . sheesh, party poopers
  • I'm no biologist, but I believe the problem is how closely related we are to monkeys and apes - it makes species jumping easier for the viruses.
  • Certainly says a lot about the detrimental effects of cannibalism, then, jb. Not that I've ever, er, considered cannibalism as such, I'm just sayin'.
  • That and prion diseases, too.