==JAPAN: KM== [Medical themes]

More than 20 years ago, our society experienced a tremendous incident, which would change our life-style dramatically. Some of our members had been approached by human beings by chance. At that time, none of our members and nobody imagined it would become a historical legend. That accidental event completely shifted our history away. Some curious individuals had gone to a new world with a great hope for glorious life. From the present point of view, that fateful encounter was a milestone for an unfortunate age.
Until that time, we had lived a calm life and been in steady living without any happenings or any attention from human beings. Our playing field was limited in a small area of the African Continent. We had been making a meager living in deep forest with apes. No conflict between our members and apes was recorded. Our society had no big news for a long time. But all of our members were satisfied with our life in peace. We eulogized the fine old days stealthily.
However, that accidental contact with human beings brought us into a new stage of history. People had come close to our motherly forest. Finally, some people ran into the area of our society. Since that time, our society has got tremendous prosperity. Our members have been distributed all over the world. A lot of people have become carriers of us. About 20 years ago, our true characters were brought to light. Our family got a special name for the first time in our long history. Today, people call us human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). One decade from the first encounter of our members with human beings, nobody could stop the progress of our status. We came across upon a lot of people all over the world. Our population increased, dramatically. Our members had magnificent evolution, genetically. During that period, we got much attention from people all over the world with great fear. We were under an illusion that we had become stars in the animate nature. Alas, strong prejudices against people carrying us unfortunately spread among other people in all society.
Nobody can keep power, forever. Many scientists have tackled our supremacy. Until about 10 years ago, some scientists disclosed the secret of our society and our growth. It was cleared that we are the pathogen of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Now, even students can explain how AIDS comes from our infections. Furthermore, scientists discovered new compounds against us. The news that scientists discovered anti-HIV drugs shocked us. Many of our members were killed in our adventure among people by these drugs.
In spite of any weapons and strategies against us, our family can survive. We can calmly escape from any medicines by changing our body structures, excellently. No medicines can eliminate us from the patients' bodies or the society of human beings. We would accept any challenges against us. We would drive all challenges back.
However, we are not so bad as you think. We want to say that we are not an evil pest but a genius in conducting our life. We merely diminish the activity of the immune system of patients to survive in human bodies by decreasing the number of CD4 positive T lymphocytes in blood. We are not murderers. We never kill you, directly. Don't lay the death of HIV carrying people at our door. Please give us a chance to live peacefully in your bodies. We love to live quietly. We never want the glory of our family. Please make us enjoy the blessings of peace. Let us be free of your intense attention, like good old days. We believe ourselves as good guys. Don't hate us so intensely. We want to be friends of yours. We hope you realize the way to coexistence and co-prosperity with no conflicts between our family and human beings.
People harbor malicious awareness against us despite our desire. People have passed our members off as villains. People have an antipathy against us. That epoch-making encounter with you has been reduced to a disastrous meeting. Nowadays, we feel nostalgic for an easygoing life of a long time ago. It grieves us to cast a glance at the last two decades' history.


"Getting It Together"

I am not a mad scientist who encourages the dominance of pathogenic microorganisms. I wanted to state an opinion by speaking for such microorganisms. It was difficult to make expressions of the microorganisms in natural feeling. I hope readers have generous mind for everything. I believe that microorganisms also have the right to live in nature.