Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have raised alarms about the potential emergence of new, altered ‘Nidoviruses’ due to crossbreeding between different virus species.
Key findings:
- Simultaneous infection of host animals with different viruses can produce a new virus through genetic recombination.
About Nidoviruses:
- These are positive-strand RNA viruses infecting both vertebrates and invertebrates, including terrestrial and marine mammals, and fish.
- They belong to the order Nidovirales.
- They share a similar genome organization and expression strategy but vary in the size of their genomic RNA.
- Among the large group of nidoviruses, only coronaviruses have been associated with disease in humans so far.
Ref: Source
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What are Nidoviruses?
Nidoviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses that infect a wide range of hosts including vertebrates and invertebrates, such as terrestrial and marine mammals, and fish. They belong to the order Nidovirales.
Have any nidoviruses been associated with diseases in humans?
Among the large group of nidoviruses, only coronaviruses, which are a subgroup, have so far been associated with disease in humans.