SCIENCE UP THE WORLD
15TH INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CONGRESS OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
JUNE 3RD - 6TH 2008
Prof. Robin A. Weiss
Mankind's Infectious DiseasesRobin A Weiss
University College London
Mankind's infections can be classified as "family heirlooms" which have co-evolved in humans since we diverged from the apes, and "new acquisitions" which we have picked up from other host species. Most of the pandemic diseases are new acquisitions. Even historically old diseases such as smallpox, typhus and plague are very recent on the evolutionary time scale, whereas the 1918/19 influenza pandemic and HIV/AIDS had their origins the 20th century. In this sense, SARS and the current threat of avian influenza represent ongoing threats from other species with whom we come into contact. Family heirlooms include the viral cancers, such as Kaposi's Sarcoma and cervical carcinoma, and hepatitis B and C. The reasons why some cross-species infections are successful, and others are not, will be discussed in relation to the nature of the pathogens themselves as well as changes in human behaviour and the environment that predispose us to infection.
