Researchers have discovered a novel virus in seals , and it ’s genetically similar to the hepatitis A virus found in humans , according to new piece of work published inmBiothis week .
Hepatitis Ais a highly contagious liver infection that ’s typically channel through person - to - person contact or by consume contaminated solid food and piss . It impact 1.4 million people around the world every year . " Until now , we did n’t get laid that hepatitis A had any close congenator , and we think that only humans and other primates could be infected by such viruses,“Columbia ’s Simon Anthonysays in astatement . Turns out , these so - called hepatoviruses are n’t restricted to prelate – and they may be in many other wildlife species too .
Researchers bumble on the fresh computer virus back in 2011 when they were investigate a fateful strain of bird flu that killed over 150 haven seals ( Phoca vitulina ) off the glide of New England . To figure out what virus are co - occurring with grippe , the squad sequenced all of the viruses present in three of the seal . The young virus , which they nominate phopivirus , come out to be common , but it does n’t seem to cause the seals any harm . Although , if it behaves like hepatitis A , phopivirus may only cause disease in grownup animate being . When the squad analyze another 29 harbor seals , six mouth organ seal , and two grey seals survive nearby , they found the phopivirus in seven more animals – indicating that the computer virus has been around in cachet for a farseeing time .
" Our data indicate that hepatitis A and this novel virus deal a common ancestor , which mean that a spillover case must have occurred at some point in the past,“Anthony add . " It raises the enquiry of whether hepatitis A originated in animal , like many other viruses that are now adapted to man . " It ’s also possible that the computer virus root run out over to seals from humans , or perhaps a third , as - yet unidentified boniface is involved .
Next , the team plans to look at animals who interact closely with these seals to see if other wildlife harbour these new hepatitis A - like computer virus . Coyotes , for example , regularly clean drained seals along the coast . They might also analyse citizenry who eat Navy SEAL meat .
