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Sewage. We know it's filled with germs that can make us sick, which is why we try to keep it far away from food and water supplies. But sewage should be the first place to go—if you’re looking for unknown viruses. So say the authors of an article in the journal mBio. [Paul Cantalupo, et al., "Raw Sewage Harbors Diverse Viral Populations"]
Only about 3,000 viruses have been catalogued by scientists. That might sound like a lot, but recent genomic studies have shown that it’s probably only a tiny fraction of the number that actually exist.
The article’s authors examined a sample of untreated wastewater in what you could call a poop-of-concept analysis. And they found 234 known viruses that can infect people, plants, animals and other organisms. They also detected genetic material from unknown viruses representing more than 50 different virus families. They even found traces of some viruses so different from ones already characterized that they couldn't even be placed in a rough category.
So there’s a virus-rich universe, ripe for exploration, waiting just at the end of the plumbing.
—Katherine Harmon
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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10 Comments
Add CommentNo S#@T Sherlock! LOL
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf i was a hollywood comics writer like stan lee i would make a different characters of viruses than Generator Rex.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExactly where the viruses were sourced for a past virology course. Sewage treatment plants include byproducts from thousands of hosts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Russians have already told us that (30yrs ago), glad to see you're on the ball! They have also made vaccines from several sewage virus's... How come it took so long for us to find this amazing fact?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat makes me sick are the full-page ads on this site that will not go away - here's a hint - surf away from this site and never return! It does make the obnoxious ads go away!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne might wonder how scientists can , after studies like this , advocate for public nudity in restaurants ? Pure stupidity ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat would you expect but to find a large variety of viruses contained in human excrement? The real issue that should worry people is the growing trend to recycle water "after purification" back into our drinking water. The concern is that viruses and retroviruses will survive this cycle and come back to haunt us. If we are just now learning what is in the sewage, how can we know what to look for in our recycled water.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRichieo is right! The Russians figured this out years ago! This is old news. But it something i'm interested in, so i'm glad to see it getting more news coverage. I too wonder why it took us so long to hear about it over here.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGo watch the documentary "Phages: The Virus that Cures" if you want to learn more!
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/phages-the-virus-that-cures/
I know a number of scientists that are not also perverts and none of them advocate nudity anywhere. I seriously doubt your sources of information.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know a number of scientists that are not also perverts and none of them advocate nudity anywhere. I seriously doubt your sources of information.
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