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Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man
Elves' immunity to disease does seem to me to be somewhat problematic.
We know that Elves can be affected, and killed, by physical damage. All diseases work by inflicting some kind of physical damage on the sufferer.
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Assume that the bacteria and viruses are species-specific (i.e. Canine viruses don't affect humans) so the 'bugs' have no way to propagate in the elves' bodies. You need to get 'it' from someone, and if the elves don't have their own diseases and can't get them from any other species...but humans and elves can pair, so...hmmm (See final comment).
Also assume that even when elves get a bug, their regenerative abilities outdo whatever damage is done more quickly than would be possible in a human. Their 'clean living' allows them to appear normal as the disease runs its natural course.
And people always associate 'cold weather' as a causal agent when it's the stress of the same that opens you up for the bugs - that and that when it's cold you're in closer proximity to others who are also stressed. I think that the 'cold' that killed the Elves on their journey Westward was physical - smashed by ice, drowned, etc.
Not that I've put too much thought to this as what I've always liked about fantasy is that during the whole trip from Bag End to the Crack of Doom and back no one *ever* has to stop for 'relief.'
