# has there been a disease with only positive effects?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 3, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254 "2006-08-03T22:25:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254/21 "2006-08-04T17:16:38Z")

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> [@mrrealtime](#):
>
> Is there something that spreads like a virus/disease, that only had positive effects, like makes you stronger, more resiliant, smarter etc?

Memes.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254/22 "2006-08-04T17:17:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Memes.

Yeah. Education.

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254/23 "2006-08-05T12:19:18Z")

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many parasites offer beneficial responses. E.g the current epidemic of asthma, excma, allergies, irritable bowel etc may be due to our clean environment and not enough parasites and bugs. I presume this is due to ouir immune system attacking the bugs and not ourselves. There are several trials of parasite based treatments such as hook worms  
e.g. see [http://www.asthmahookworm.com/](http://www.asthmahookworm.com/)

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**Author:** ![The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Seventh_Deadly_Finn)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-been-a-disease-with-only-positive-effects/367254/24 "2006-08-05T17:01:37Z")

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What about… LOVE? _(violins swell)_

No, I’m just kidding. Give me a nice, predictable dose of typhoid any day.

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