Viruses have been with us since the very beginning of life; probably from when we first arose as a species (they would have been evolving right along with us). These formidable agents of infection don't survive in the fossil record but evidence from ancient civilisations reveals some of the long history we've reluctantly shared with them. Egyptian drawings dating back to around 1400BC depict people with the wasted legs characteristic of poliomyelitis, or polio, a …showed first 75 words of 6173 total…

…showed last 75 words of 6173 total…knows, with what we're learning about HIV combined with our growing understanding of genetics and what drives us, maybe its not too much to believe that one day soon we may have the solution to all viral infections. There's cause for hope and despair. Emerging viruses are exacting a high price on the human population. We understand how they function, and we're drawing up strategies to deal with them. Will we be in time?