purpose of viruses??

[T.J. Fitzmaurice]

In article <jordan-2801951401410001 at mac-burl-11.dfci.harvard.edu>,
Rob Jordan <jordan at mbcrr.harvard.edu> wrote:
> The aggressiveness can be really very high, Ebola Zaire 
>> for example kills 9 out of 10 human hosts in <14 days.  I'd speculated that, 
>> for the virus, this is not too good an idea as if you want to spread your 
>> genetic material if your are too pathogenic then you eventually loose your 
>> host.  Whereas AIDS although equally agressive allows the host to live thus 
>> allowing its (somewhat rapid) propagation.
>> 
>True, probably the most successful virus would be one that could replicate
>without causing any pathogenesis. Who knows perhaps we are infected with
>many more viruses than we know.
>
>Rob J.
>
HHV-6 and similarly discovered viruses spring to mind at this point.
Tim