An example of anthropomorphism in public science discourse:
"Most pathogenic bacteria and all viruses cannot live outside people, so if they get into the environment they're looking for a new host, they need to get into your body before they can start breeding again. So finding a bit of toast, they are not going to be be able to live there. Non-pathogenic organisms, yes they can live anywhere…what we call ubiquitous, but the really harmful ones need to get into a human body where they've got special nutrients like vitamins and things like that. And the same, viruses have got to live inside, go inside living cells. They can, you know, jig around, but until they find a new host that suits them they won't start breeding again."
Prof. Sally Bloomfield (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), was talking on an episode ('The 5 second rule') of BBC radio show/podcast Curious Cases.
Read examples of anthropomorphism in science
N.b. Species other than humans suffer pathogens, so presumably Professor Bloomfield's reference to 'Most pathogenic bacteria and all viruses cannot live outside people' refers specifically to human pathogens.
That viruses 'jig around' seems to be a metaphor. (A virus does not have anything like cilia or flagella to enable it to move about. Outside of cells viruses are effectively inert so are presumably 'jigging' refers to being passively moved.)
Breeding normally refers to sexual reproduction so seems to be used metaphorically here (on a programme with a diverse, non-specialist audience) for 'reproducing'.
