Monday, January 26, 2015

New Virus Already Inside Us?


     Genetic researchers from around the country have discovered a new virus known as a bacteriophage, that may be present in at least half of the population. This type of virus (named crAssphage) infects bacteria, and is suspected to live in the human gut. According to the LiveScience article, it was discovered when many researchers identified it in fecal samples from multiple different subjects. 

     Although not much is known about the virus to date, Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at the University of Pittsburg and a representative of the Infectious Disease Society of America, believes this may play a role in common conditions that affect humans around the world. She cited obesity and cancer as such possibilities. Understanding this new finding may be the key to unlocking a cure to the conditions that have plagued humanity since it's beginnings.


     Robert Edwards, a bioinformatics professor at San Diego State University and one of the researchers who worked on the study, feels that not enough information about the virus has been discovered to make such concrete conclusions. Edwards and his fellow researchers have not yet been able to replicate or photograph the virus, although they have identified crAssphage via it's DNA sequence. However researchers look at this new discovery, it adds helpful insight to the world of microbes and human health. 

4 comments:

  1. I love the picture, but seriously the title of the article drew me in instantly. After reading it and realizing that there could be something that is infecting the bacteria in my stomach, it made me wonder how long it would take for scientist to find out whether or not these bacteriophages were good or bad. The article also mentioned that the virus has remained hidden for so long which also made me wonder what other things could be hiding in our bodies. Maybe we are all infected with something similar to the Walking Dead........

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  2. This was a good article nonetheless

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  3. Perhaps this may eventually be linked to the ongoing immunity to common antibiotics? Or even the prevalence of different MR's?

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  4. My hope, after reading the initial article, is that further studying of the virus may lead to a breakthrough in the field of medicine. Possibly the virus existing in our intestines may have a role in the spreading of diseases? Either way, I definitely hope the virus doesn't resemble that in the Walking Dead!

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