Generally a live virus is considered to be able to initiate a complete
infection in the right host, while a weakened or 'dead' virus provokes a
immunological reaction mainly, is what I think I remember. Whether it's
alive is really not an interesting issue.
Have a look at http://www.xs4all.nl/~wgods/: here an old colleague of mine
vents his opinion on HIV...
--
Regards,
Sander


Thomas Lake <tla### [at] homecom> schreef in berichtnieuws
389EFDFA.CE06EF7E@home.com...
> A lot of differing views as to weather viruses are alive I don't think you
could
> come to any conclusion if you asked a number of biology teachers. Viruses
have DNA
> or RNA and are able to reproduce, though they need a host cell. they also
follow all
> of the rules for evolution so I think they are alive, though only in the
most basic
> of definitions. they are able to weaken them breading successive
generations of them
> together, all the interbreeding weakens them. And they can kill them with
radiation.
>
> David Fontaine wrote:
>
> > Thomas Lake wrote:
> >
> > > Well the fact the it mutates does make it harder to make a vaccine for
AIDS.
> > > But the main reason is that what we normally consider a vaccine
depends on
> > > you have a healthy immune system. Usually the inject a weakened strain
or
> > > dead viruses into your body. Then your immune system recognizes the
virus
> > > and produces an immune reaction and antibodies. Next time you get the
virus
> > > your body has the antibodies to recognize and fight it off. This is
not
> > > possible for HIV because of its vary nature. It hides away from the
immune
> > > system so you never develop immunity to it.
> >
> > They cannot inject dead viruses, and viruses cannot hide, because
viruses are
> > not alive ;-)
> >
> > > I believe current vaccine work
> > > is being done on trying to block the proteins the virus uses to enter
a
> > > humans cells. This is quite different from a normal vaccine.
> >
> > Yes, that is what's being done now.
> > As for the RNA being the reason why they can't make a normal vaccine; my
biology
> > teacher told me that so it could easily be wrong.
> >
> > --
> > ___     ______________________________________________________
> >  | \     |_                 <dav### [at] faricynet> <ICQ 55354965>
> >  |_/avid |ontaine               http://www.faricy.net/~davidf/
> >
> > "Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come" -Beatles
>
> --
> Come visit my web site:-) : http://www.geocities.com/~thomaslake/
>
>

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