Why Do Viruses Kill?

00:00:15 One with the power to kill.

00:02:40 Two children in San Diego, California, had come down with a new variant of flu.

00:04:55 Want to know where swine flu came from? It came from Mexico.

00:07:23 If you pulled the capsule apart, those little things that would fall out

00:10:12 He stains virus particles green with a fluorescent colouring so he can see them in action.

00:12:38 It's not things like the fish that are driving the oceans, it's things like the viruses.

00:15:25 of some of the earliest life-forms on this planet.

00:17:57 It has been a rock'n'roll ride looking at these new viruses because

00:20:36 is actually responsible for phenomenal crop damage around the world.

00:23:05 I come along and touch it... and I have got myself infected.

00:25:14 HIV is the king of clever viruses.

00:27:25 And the people are dying of pneumonia.

00:29:35 Most of the time.

00:31:52 They're very, very forcefully, they were saying yes, indeed. They eat it every single day.

00:34:06 and then, through international travel, be spread throughout the world.

00:36:39 And it was greatly feared everywhere.

00:39:39 and one cannot really estimate the value of this to mankind.

00:42:02 in Alice's case threatening both her and her unborn baby.

00:44:40 The virus can still mutate and become resistant to these drugs.

00:47:06 two genes that were very recently in a bird virus

00:49:40 because it really doesn't make any sense

00:52:03 and recreate the living, reproducing polio virus just from its basic ingredients.

00:54:52 We had synthesised a virus particle

00:57:02 We don't know, actually, how much