A new hybrid virus, made up of Influenza-A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), has been discovered by scientists at the University of Glasgow. The virus can penetrate deeper into the lungs and cause more severe illness than the seasonal flu virus. The team was conducting an experiment to analyze the interactions between viruses when they discovered the new hybrid virus. They infected human lung cells with RSV and Influenza-A, and observed fadenförmige structures, which turned out to be the hybrid virus. The Influenza-A virus uses RSV surface proteins to bypass the immune system and infect more human cells, including those without Influenza receptors, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract and lungs. The RSV virus, on the other hand, is inhibited by the Influenza-A particles, reducing its replication ability. The discovery highlights the need for further research into parallel infections with multiple viruses.
The hybrid virus is a new type of virus that has never been described before. It is made up of two completely different families of viruses that combine the genomes and external proteins of both viruses. The Influenza-A virus uses RSV surface proteins to bypass the immune system and infect more human cells, including those without Influenza receptors, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract and lungs. The RSV virus, on the other hand, is inhibited by the Influenza-A particles, reducing its replication ability. The discovery highlights the need for further research into parallel infections with multiple viruses. The scientists caution that the lab experiment is limited in its ability to fully capture the complexity of the entire respiratory tract, and that there may be other hybrid viruses that have not yet been discovered. They suggest that parallel infections with multiple viruses should be better studied to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the biology of each virus.
The discovery of the new hybrid virus is a cause for concern, as it can penetrate deeper into the lungs and cause more severe illness than the seasonal flu virus. The risk of severe illness is increased by the fact that the virus can infect cells without Influenza receptors, allowing it to spread more easily. The scientists suggest that the discovery of the new hybrid virus is a reminder of the importance of avoiding infection with multiple viruses, and that further research is needed to better understand the interactions between different viruses in the respiratory tract.
