Randy

What Maori and the others seem to believe is that the incorporation of the viral dna confers some sort of resistance to the effects of the virus, which they regard as a benefit. I have a hard time seeing the insertion of viral dna as beneficial, and like you, wonder what sort of a ticking time bomb this is. At the very least, it appears to disarm the honey bees' defense against the virus, which allows the virus to replicate unhindered.

I think what many people fail to realize, is that viruses are not non-living organisms, like we were taught in grade school. What is normally thought of a a virus, is actually the virion which is more like a spore. The virion can't do anything on its own, hence the notion that it is not alive. But it is just as much a potential life form as is a seed. Once it gets into the host cell, it turns that cell into a virion factory.

In a very real sense, this commandeered cell is the live form of the virus. As is the case with most parasites, they have at least two potential paths to maintain themselves. One, which kills the host but ensures viral dispersal through varying means. Two, not kill the host but live in it as long as possible. Taking a page from another book, we find:

> The integration of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) genetic information into the host genome is fundamental for its replication and long-term persistence in the host. After docking onto a chromosome, the viral DNA undergoes a strand transfer reaction that involves a nucleophilic attack on the target DNA. The end result is the permanent integration of the HIV genome into a specific site on the host genome.

Identification of HIV integration sites in infected host genomic DNA. Angela Ciuffi and Stephen D. Barr. Methods (2010)

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