The newest environmental threat, Megavirus chilensis, was found in ocean water off the coast of Chili. It is 10 to 20 times longer than regular viruses, which makes it quite a marvel.
Now scientists have turned to the environment to find viruses to study them before they cause an infection in human beings. Megavirus chilenis infects amoebas, and it has over a thousand genes. Professor Jean-Michel Claverie said, "It is bigger than some bacteria. You don't need an electron microscope to see it; you can see it with an ordinary light microscope."
Isn't it amazing that the environment of the ocean produces something like this giant megavirus? These types of discoveries make it all the more worrisome that the ocean and other environments on Earth are being polluted with trash and oil and other contaminants, which could kill these viruses that should help doctors learn more about how viruses work, which could end up helping human health in the future.
Ultimately these viruses like Megavirus chilenis serve to help control sea life, and if they are damaged, then things can get out of balance. It is a real concern.
Like this article? See more by Kate James at Gather.com
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