Infection with nematodes (roundworms) can lead to serious diseases. Some of these diseases may be caused by the viruses they carry, not the worms themselves. This has been shown in a published study. Nature Microbiology.
Scientists have identified 91 RNA viruses in 28 species of parasitic nematodes. The worms studied account for 70% of those that infect humans and animals. They often go unnoticed but can cause serious, life-altering diseases.
More than a billion people worldwide are infected with parasitic nematodes. Some cause blindness or epilepsy. A new study suggests that the symptoms of epilepsy may be related to a virus that is linked to rabies. The authors suggest that, like the rabies virus, it can penetrate human nerve tissue. This could explain the neurological deficits in those infected.
“The study raises the question of whether any of the diseases for which these parasites are responsible are caused by a virus rather than directly by the parasitic nematode,” the authors wrote.
Previously at WHO ApprovedMonkeypox virus can be transmitted through airborne droplets.