Giant virus found in 30,000 -year -old ancient permafrost

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CANADA: A 30,000-year-old ancient permafrost was home to the giant virus Pithovirus sibericum, which is the largest virus ever discovered at present.
There were four ancient viruses discovered since 2003 that suggests viruses could live and survive to longer periods of time than first believed to be. But the shocking thing is that they could actually be larger and scarier.
Mollivirus sibercum is the newly discovered virus with a spherical shape that is about six micrometers in length. It contains a genome made of 650,000 base pairs that has 500 proteins. It mode of action is very similar to typical small viruses that uses its nucleus to replicate within the cell it feeds on that makes it dependent on the host for nutrients and survival.
This virus family is believed to prefer targeting amoebae because of its easy-to-penetrate cell structure. Amoebae follow the phagocytosis process to feed that makes use of its membranes to feed on small particles and other organisms.
The giant virus will act like a normal particle to be eaten by the amoebae on purpose.
Complex animals, such as humans and animals do not undergo the same feeding process like amoebas so they believe that this giant virus is no threat to these organisms.
Lead researcher Jean-Michel Claverie of France’s National Centre for Scientific Research clarified that, “We’re not stupid enough to revive a virus that may pose a threat to human health. We use amoeba as bait to fish out whatever viruses may be in that specific sample. But every once in a while, we see them die and that’s when we know somebody must be killing them. This way, we know which to isolate from the others.”
But the confirmed that they will perform follow up tests to confirm that the virus is really not dangerous to humans and animals.
Claverie said that reviving potentially pathogenic viruses may be possible with a few viral particles that may still be infectious providing that there is the presence of a vulnerable host.
Finding four giant and ancient viruses since 2003 proved that these kind of viruses is not yet as rare as once thought, and is proven to be incredibly diverse in terms of how it attacks its host organism.