#2523: Endangered
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Transcript
[Ponytail stands facing Cueball and Megan in front of a poster board.]
[Ponytail is pointing a stick to the board reading "Current List" with bullet points beneath.]
[The first bullet reads Influenza B/Yamagata.]
[Four further bullet points follow, which are left indistinct.]
Ponytail: Influenza's genetic diversity has declined during the pandemic, and the B/Yamagata lineage is at risk of extinction.
Ponytail: Which would be such a shame.
Megan: Yeah, I'm sooooooo worried about it.
Cueball: We'd be just heartbroken!
[Caption below the panel]:
When a pathogen that scientists really don't like is close to disappearing, it gets added to the sarcastic endangered species list.
(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)
Title text:The list includes polio, Guinea worm, and this one particular enterovirus strain that they've been tracking out of spite after it went around the lab a few years ago.