What are Vampire Viruses

Nov. 11, 2023

Several ‘Vampire Viruses’ have been recently discovered on US soil for the first time.

About Vampire Viruses:

  • They are pathogens that latch onto other viruses in order to replicate themselves.
  • They emerge when a bacteriophage attaches to a soil-based virus, utilising its "life" for independent survival.
  • This viral relationship between two pathogens is called a satellite and a helper. The satellite is the infectious strand that relies on the helper for support through its life cycle.
  • Satellites depend on both their host organism and helper virus to complete its life cycle.
  • The satellite virus depends on the helper virus to build the protective shell that covers its genetic material, called a capsid or to help it replicate its DNA.
  • Most satellite viruses contain a gene that allows them to integrate into the host cell’s genetic material after they enter the cell. 
  • This enables the satellite to reproduce whenever a helper enters the cell from then on.
  • The host cell also copies the satellite’s DNA and its own when it divides. 

What is a Bacteriophage?

  • Bacteriophages (BPs) are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria without any negative effect on human or animal cells. They are comprised of a protein capsule around an RNA or DNA genome.
  • For this reason, it is supposed that they can be used, alone or in combination with antibiotics, to treat bacterial infections.