Miriam Gauntlett

Aug 29, 2024 | peoplesworld.org | Rox Middleton |Liam Shaw |Miriam Gauntlett

After 25 years without polio, the siege of Gaza has directly resulted in a confirmed case of childhood paralysis, in what could be the start of a polio outbreak. The British biologist Peter Medawar described a virus as “a piece of bad news wrapped up in protein.” The virus that causes polio provides a perfect example. When a cell infected with poliovirus dies, it bursts open and can release up to 10,000 individual virus particles.