Where did the Influenza Virus Originate that Initially Entered the Bird Population?
Birds are a reservoir of every conceivable subtype of influenza virus and are the “primordial” origin of pandemic influenza in humans, say Webster et al. However, where did the original influenza virus come from that infected the bird population? The late British astronomer/astrobiologist Sir Fred Hoyle and colleague Dr. N. Chandra Wickramasinghe propose that viruses and bacteria responsible for the infectious diseases of plants and animals arrive in the dust from space that continually bombards Earth. Furthermore, they argue, apart from their harmful effects, these same viruses and bacteria have been responsible in the past for the origin and evolution of life on the Earth. In their view, all aspects of the basic biochemistry of life come from outside the Earth, which is also the idea of panspermia. Hoyle and Wickramasinghe are part of a long line of ardent panspermists dating back to 4th century B.C. Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, as described elsewhere. (27-28) Wickramasinghe opines,
