In the early 20th century, many countries were battling infectious diseases. Many infectious diseases plagued Japan 50 years ago. With the development of new drugs, many medical professionals in developed countries arrogantly state that they practically wiped out the major infectious diseases in the 1970s, says Professor Yasuhide Nakamura of Osaka University. Most infectious diseases are always with us. We have to remember that humans have lived with viruses for hundreds of thousands of years.
Few viruses kill people since humans are the viruses' hosts.
The viruses cannot survive without us. Many people have died of AIDS because their immune systems were not strong enough or not sensitized to living with the disease. AIDS and human beings have only been together for 20 years.