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 attachestoa 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 bacteriawithout any negativeeffect 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.
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