100,000 new viruses discovered: Here’s what to know

Scientists have discovered about 100,000 new types of viruses that were previously unknown. This is nine times the number of viruses known to science at this point. The biologists who made the discovery also uncovered genes that had only previously been detected in DNA viruses.

100,000 viruses

The researchers from Israel, USA and France, discovered the viruses in global environmental data from soil samples, oceans, lakes and other ecosystems, according to Medical Sciences News. The RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses are compounds present in all living cells that have structural similarities to DNA. They include the coronavirus and influenza viruses, as well as dengue and West Nile virus, among others, News Week reports.

This discovery may aid in the development of anti-microbial drugs and protect against agriculturally harmful fungi and parasites, the researchers believe. Uri Gophna of Tel Aviv University, Israel is the lead researcher on the paper published in the journal Cell. He told News Week:

Nearly all RNA viruses that were studied to date are pathogens important for human health and agriculture, but we knew there has to be large RNA virus diversity that remained unexplored.

What this means

The discovery of approximately 110,000 previously unknown RNA viruses also led to the identification of organisms they are likely to infect. Most of them are not suspected to infect animals but rather bacteria, algae, fungi and protists—a group of primarily single-celled, microscopic organisms. According to Gophna:

This opens the door for future research, and for a better understanding of how viruses can be harnessed for use in medicine and agriculture.

Sources used:

News Week: Scientists Discover 100,000 Viruses Never Seen Before

Medical Life Sciences News: Scientists discover nearly 100,000 new types of viruses

Sci News: Biologists Discover Over 100,000 New Types of RNA Viruses

The Times of Israel: Israeli-led study claims to uncover 100,000 previously unknown viruses