Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Other evidence

Even Koch recognized that in some cases not all of his conditions could be met, so other evidence should also be considered. This is particularly true when the germ is a virus rather than a bacterium.16 Modern scientists are willing to consider a wide range of evidence. In particular, we can ask five key questions:

  • Do surveillance statistics show a relationship between HIV and AIDS?
  • How well does HIV infection predict illness and death?
  • Do drugs designed to combat HIV benefit people with AIDS?
  • Are there any credible causes besides HIV?
  • What can we learn from Africa?

We'll address these questions after looking at Koch's Postulates.

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