"Cecil Kimber" wrote in message
news:vre0b.184595$Ho3.25707@sccrnsc03...
Al,
I also saw that article. It might be a point of concern however when
you consider bacteria like to swap genes BETWEEN SPECIES. I'm more
concerned about the operating theatre than the flasking room. Thing what
that would mean if species 122 (I think that's the number) decides to
donate
the genetic material for high temp environments to S. aureus. We would be
in a heap of trouble. Just pointing out that you can't be too careful
with
new species of anything! Think of it..."Attack of the Killer Vietnamese
Paphs!!!"
Cec

I hadn't forgotten that. But consider, for bacteria to exchange genes, they
both have to be able to live in the same place at the same time. Therefore,
unless these things surprise us by being able to thrive in a much broader
range of environments, either S. aureus surviving in a vent-like
super-heated chemical soup or the species that normally thrive in such a
hot, to us toxic, soup being able to survive in the kind of environment we
like, or unless there is a virus that can serve as a vector to transfer
genes from one to the other that can survive both environments, such an
exchange is highly unlikely.

What you say about new species, though, brings to mind a news report on the
CBC from Toronto about new findings regarding a large number of patients,
most in nursing homes, that tests demonstrated as having the SARS virus but
who either did not show any symptoms at al or who showed symptoms that would
be considered mild relative to the average common cold. There is a
suspicion now that what was alleged to be a new virus species has actually
been around, and causing mild disease, for a long time. We are talking
hundreds of people who had the virus in Canada who either did not show
symptoms or who showed extremely mild symptoms. It may well be that like
influenza, the SARS virus has multiple strains or races of varying
virulence. Now, if we saw something as nasty as ebola that was as
contagious as the influenza virus, we would be in serious trouble! It may
be just a matter of time....

Cheers,

Ted