Extrasolar diseases and Alien contact

I've been reading about the supposed UN meeting on ET's and UFO's that took place in February. If it took place, I don't know. I'd like to think so. But, I'm just someone that likes concrete evidence.

However, that is not the topic I have in mind.

Rather, it has to do with diseases and the preparedness of the human body should contact have been made.

When European settlers first came to the America's, millions of native people died due to the exposure of yellow fever, smallpox, measles and other diseases. Their immune systems weren't ready.

Cut to today. What if contact is made with an Alien race. We start to intermingle. Humans begin dropping like flies because the Alien common cold is deadly to humans. Or vice versa.

Speculation: Is it possible for world governments that have made contact and are aware of this problem may have come up with a solution? Perhaps adding a "weakened strain" of their cold in the shape of something as common as the flu shot? Or perhaps other means?

It's just an idea and nothing written in stone.

I don't know if the UN meeting is true. I don't know if ET's exist. However, when I look through my telescope, I lose all doubt. There has to be.

What's everyone else's thoughts?

Btw, if this topic exists, my apologies. Didn't see it beforehand.

I am sure this topic has been done before but it deserves a little discussion. I do believe that if there were some sort of contact that disease would be a problem.

If any contact has been achieved already, then where does the theory stand? Plenty of people have tales of face to face contact with aliens. I do not recall anyone getting a strange new disease after an encounter. (with the exception of radiation in falcon lake encounter etc).

A good topic.

Thank you and you do bring up a good point in that people have claimed to have had contact with Aliens before.

Seems like this topic is not all too popular atm

It's a good question but I think abductees worry more about other things than whether or not they will catch cold. They worry if all their babies will be removed from their uterus. Or if their own children will be stolen. Or what happened during those huge chunks of missing time. Or being impregated with hybrids. Or waking up with scars and bruises all over their body. I doubt if any abductees has worried about catching a cold?
Just imho.

Although possible I think it is highly unlikely for the following reasons:

• Alien biology is almost certainly radically different to ours. How many diseases can humans catch from plants? Plants probably have a biology much closer to us than any ET! Zoonosis (transfer of an infectious disease from animals to humans) is rare enough and mammals share very similar biology to ours.
  
• ETs are most likely aware of any risks and have taken steps to mitigate them. e.g. they might have nano-robots that can eradicate any diseases/bacteria in their population/habitat or they might wear sterile suits when handling humans (with sufficiently advanced technology their suits may well look like their natural skin, and their sterile breathing apparatus might well be integrated into their natural lungs etc).
  

reply to post by Zoonosis


Interesting choice of handle, since zoonosis implies that viruses can be transmitted between disparate species.

Is this belief of yours so firm that you'd risk going into an alien biosphere without fear of cross-infection? I think a biohazard officer will be an invaluable and indispensable member of any xeno team.

I think it might be an order of magnitude safer to contact a silicon-based ET, but any carbon-based forms will have a strong likelihood of being able to transmit viruses and micro-organisms.

On the 'aliens taking steps to mitigate' part, I'd refer you to 'chaos theory' and Jurassic park. There's always a chance of failure of any procedure(s). In addition you're making a LOT of assumptions there, among them that they'd be aware of the danger, that they'd be able to cope with the oxidative effects of Earth's high oxygen content atmosphere, and that they'd be aware of all the types of infections including prions and other not well understood diseases.

That's why one of my central theses on ET visitation is that it is extremely unlikely to be a real, physical contact and would be of a virtual, holographic nature to protect both parties.

You just never know, without experience and I think it would be utter folly to disregard this possibility.

2 cents.




[edit on 29-3-2008 by Badge01]