The World

Ever since this whole “swine flu” thing erupted it’s been nothing but talk about humans, humans, humans. But what’s it been like to be a virus these last few weeks? Today, we shrink down to take a look at life from the point of view of one of the world’s smallest biological toxins. How, really, do viruses get out of one organism and travel to another? (Warning: It’s pretty gross.) What perils face a virus that ventures outside the human body? Our microscopic tour guide is The Takeaway’s favorite virus hunter, Dr. Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas School of Public Health and co-author of Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!