The virus is not an external enemy, it is part of an altered system: Camacho Zarco

▲ Illustration included in the book. Below, virologist Aldo Román Camacho Zarco, author of the book. Photo courtesy of the interviewee .

Daniel López Aguilar

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, August 8, 2025, p. 6

In 1918, the world witnessed a silent catastrophe. More people died from the so-called Spanish flu than in World War I. In 2019, humanity once again faced an invisible threat: SARS-CoV-2, a virus that disrupted routines, tore families apart, and left rising red figures.

From that mirror of catastrophes separated by a century, One Hundred Years Later: History of Two Pandemics , by virologist and researcher Aldo Román Camacho Zarco, and published by Fondo de Cultura Económica, proposes an accessible reading about these episodes, the evolution of diseases and the complex relationship between humanity and the environment that sustains and transforms it.

I wrote as if I had to explain it to my grandmother. The book was born as a reaction to the noise. During the first months of confinement (five years ago), my family received chains with miracle cures and conspiracy theories. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do more , she said in an interview with La Jornada .

That motivation became resistance: against misinformation, anxiety, and forgetting. It was my way of staying sane.

Camacho Zarco (Mexico City, 1981) studied chemistry and pharmacobiology. He earned a master's degree in biochemical sciences from UNAM. He completed his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and currently works at the French National Center for Scientific Research, specializing in the study of viral diseases using atomic resolution techniques.

In his laboratory, located in the city of Grenoble, where he has lived since 2017, he investigates how certain pathogens, such as avian influenza, infect human cells.

During the pandemic, he witnessed the scientific effort to understand SARS-CoV-2, which penetrates cells and reproduces rapidly, as precise as the confusion that simultaneously spread on social media.

For the author, the battle for truth didn't end with the lockdown. "Today, there are measles outbreaks in places where the vaccine has been available for decades. What does that tell us? That we need a vaccine against misinformation."

"The essential difference between the two health crises is that 100 years ago, we didn't even know what viruses were. Now we can observe them with atomic resolution, that is, with such high precision that we can visualize their structures at the atomic level.

"But this distance isn't just technical; it also poses an ethical dilemma: fighting microorganisms is no longer enough. We urgently need to rethink our relationship with the planet we inhabit.

Invading ecosystems increases the risk of contact with new pathogens. Climate change accelerates the crossing of species and, with it, the emergence of emerging pathogens. The virus is not an external enemy that attacks. It is part of an altered system. It is a symptom of an imbalance.

Without losing sight of the reader, the scientist also examines the social and political dimensions of each epidemic episode. I wanted everyone to be able to understand it. That's why I worked with illustrator and biologist Emmi Mikkola. We created more than 30 full-color illustrations. Sometimes, a picture is worth 10 paragraphs .

The text explores key moments in recent health crises: the 1918 influenza, the emergence of A/H1N1 in Mexico in 2009, and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Camacho examines scientific advances, such as RNA vaccines, alongside political decisions, collective fears, and repeated mistakes.

While avoiding speculation, it also addresses uncomfortable questions, such as: Did the pathogen originate in a laboratory? Could it have been avoided? Or what successes and failures paved the way?

Scientists in 1918 attempted to isolate it, but they lacked the tools. Today, we can sequence its genome in a matter of days. However, it's of little use if society doesn't trust science , he pointed out.

One of the most disturbing chapters, Pathogens of the Fourth Kind , addresses the possibility that microorganisms preserved in permafrost—the layer of permanently frozen soil in polar regions—may be released as thawing progresses.

This isn't science fiction, Camacho Zarco clarified, but rather a wake-up call about what's at stake. "By unearthing ancient ecosystems, we release microorganisms that have never interacted with the human immune system.

“The flu, which caused millions of deaths, and the recent outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, SARS, and MERS show how humanity coexists with infectious agents. But unlike in the past, today we have tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat them.

Structural biology has transformed medicine. With techniques like cryo-electron microscopy, we can observe the architecture of viruses and design specific drugs. Without these advances, vaccine development would not have been possible so quickly.

–Are we prepared for the next massive outbreak?

–Increasingly, on a scientific level. But socially, no. Misinformation represents a real threat. Science progresses, but without social support, we remain vulnerable. This isn't a judgment, but an urgent call.

“As scientists, we have a responsibility to communicate better, not only in specialized articles, but also in books, social media, and every possible means.

Another epidemiological emergency is likely to emerge. The crucial question is whether we will be better prepared: with efficient laboratories, informed societies, responsible public policies, and greater care for the natural environment.