Scientists are on the track of solving the SARS dilemma. But SARS is just one of the new diseases that have arisen over the last few years. HIV/AIDS burst onto the scene over a decade ago, and is still unchecked. The epidemic is still running rampant. [click here for .pdf report on December 2002 worldwide statistics] The disease that the largest number of people are infected with is Hepatitis C. Ebola, West Nile Virus, and, of course, a yearly new strain of flu are also infecting people now. In addition, there is a resurgence of malaria, tuberculosis (TB), cholera and small pox in many areas. The number of occurrences of cancer is on the rise. What is going on?
In my opinion, this a sign that Mother Nature is saying there are too many people for the planet to support and is trying to reduce the population. Well, actually, it is probably due to the fact that since there are a great number of highly overcrowded areas and sanitation in those areas is unmanageable. Trash heaps and pools of water, polluted by sewage, are ideal places for diseases to grow. And what with radiation, genetic experiments, and pollution, who can predict what kinds of mutations are occurring in the many germs that infest our planet. Of course, how quickly any disease will spread depends on how that disease is spread. HIV/AIDS is spread mostly by sexual contact, and since everyone seems so concerned about having sex as often as possible these days (and I admit that the urge is natural, but in earlier times, it did seem that people could control their urges more easily that seems to be possible for many this day in time, given the media pushing sex into our faces whenever we turn on the TV, open a magazine or go to the movies). Hepatitis C is spread in many of the same ways as HIV/AIDS. There are a greater number of recognized sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than was known just 50 years ago. [For a thorough discussion of the problems in the United States due to transmission of disease by sexual contact, see Testimony of Dr. Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD, President, The Medical Institute for Sexual Health, Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives, April 23, 2002]
I am left with an impression that the disease problem is greatly associated with there being too many people . . . and too many people who seem to spend more time having sex than thinking about the long term health effects of having sex. It may be that the latter is just Mother Nature's way of correcting the former. It may be that "survival of the fittest" actually means "survival of the smartest." Do I have any answers? If I did, no one would care to listen, they would be too busy trying to have sex with someone.
Posted by Tiger at April 7, 2003 05:12 PM | TrackBack