Am I the only one watching the HIV/AIDs forum on CNN?

[Just Me]

I've never felt so hopeful by the common desire to address this issue. And, Clinton,...he is HUMAN and compassionate and concerned and active at this serious problem.

I feel more inspired watching this coverage than I have in quite some time.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. No you aren't. It's a global pandemic and in typical fashion, Amurka

decided to throw hundreds of billions of dollars away on destruction rather than philanthropic/charitable efforts.


http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/selenium.html
Selenium and Viral Mutations

So far, there are three pieces to the selenium-virus puzzle.

The first comes from the recent dramatic discovery that a selenium deficiency in a person or animal triggers a mutation in the coxsackievirus. The common form of this virus is generally benign, causing symptoms no more serious than a common cold or sore throat. The coxsackievirus mutation, however, attacks heart tissue, causing Keshan disease (a type of cardiomyopathy) and heart failure.

In China, Keshan disease is known to be associated with selenium deficiency. But because of the seasonal nature of Keshan disease, researchers suspected that an infectious microorganism was also involved. That's when they turned up the coxsackievirus, which also infects an estimated 20 million Americans annually.

The plot twisted last year when Melinda Beck, Ph.D., a virologist at the University of North Carolina, and Orville Levander, Ph.D., a nutritional chemist at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, described how a run-of-the-mill coxsackievirus mutated into the deadly, rapidly reproducing strain when an infected person or animal was deficient in selenium or vitamin E. The coxsackievirus in animals eating a selenium-rich diet did not mutate. However, the mutated virus could infect and be deadly to a person or animal eating adequate selenium. (Journal of Medical Virology, 1994;43:66-70 and Journal of Nutrition, 1994;124:345-58.)

Their research took on greater significance this past May, when Beck and Levander described the specific genetic changes that occurred in this coxsackievirus mutation. By comparing the genetic structure of the benign "parent" coxsackievirus to that of its virulent descendants, Beck and Levander identified six specific changes in the genetic structure of the virulent coxsackievirus strain. Although it's not yet clear whether one or all of these genetic changes triggered the more aggressive virus, the genetic evidence provides the scientific proof needed to link a host's selenium deficiency with a more dangerous form of the coxsackievirus. (Nature Medicine, May 1995;1:433-6.)