Frederick (I think) said:
>> I tend to agree with Bruno that most micro-bugs are useful.
>> Guy-Claude Burger says that viruses are nature's recombinant
>> DNA -- viruses reprogram cells, making them stronger and
>> more capable of dealing with toxins and intruders.

Why would we assume that the reprogramming of cells would be
beneficial to the host?  The virus doesn't care.  As long as some subset
of the virus has a means of jumping from one host to another, it wouldn't
matter if it killed or helped the host for the species to survive.  Why does
the body madly produce antibodies against many viruses if they are so
helpful?  Seems to me like some viruses help, some harm, and most do
neither.  I have always been baffled by the beneficial microbe theory.  Is
it necessary for me to read Guy-Claude to understand this?

Cheers,
Martha