If a modern human went back in time, would that person be more or less susceptible to disease?
Most modern humans have been vaccinated against many of the worst pathogens that have plagued people for millennia. (There is one major exception: smallpox. Those born in the United States after 1972, when widespread vaccination ceased, have not been vaccinated.) Even taking vaccines out of the equation, the enhanced nutrition experienced by most modern humans during childhood development would contribute to better overall health and a stronger immune system, rendering adults much less susceptible to infectious disease. Humans from industrialized nations might be more at risk of parasitic infections, because these have largely been eliminated in these countries due to increased sanitation, so our immune systems are “naïve” to them. However, these would likely be more of an inconvenience than a serious threat to health.
As an associate professor of biology, Geoff Holm teaches basic molecular and cellular biology, virology and immunology, and the pathogenesis and epidemiology of infectious disease. His research focuses on mammalian reoviruses.
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