Scientists discover stomach viruses are more powerful in clusters

A project started in 2015 and led by Dr. Nihal Altan-Bonnet of the National Institutes of Health, which initially looked at using polioviruses to fight brain tumors, has found that noroviruses and rotaviruses are more powerful when clustered together

Scientists have discovered that certain stomach viruses are more powerful when clustered together than when existing as individual particles.

A project led by Dr. Nihal Altan-Bonnet of the National Institutes of Health can be credited for this new revelation into the contagion and potency of norovirus and rotavirus.

The research focuses on clusters of norovirus and rotavirus, which are known for causing gastrointestinal illness, specifically when when ingested on contaminated food or aboard cruise ships and other places where people are confined in close quarters for extended periods of time.

These viruses typically enter the body through the ‘oral-fecal’ route, which means when we accidentally ingest feces through our mouths, which can happen in a myriad of ways. 

Some of those ways include drinking contaminated water or putting our fingers in or near our mouths after touching contaminated door knobs or other surfaces.

It was published on Wednesday in the Cell Host & Microbe research journal.

These viruses typically enter the body through the 'oral-fecal' route, which means when we accidentally ingest feces through our mouths, which can happen in a myriad of ways

These viruses typically enter the body through the ‘oral-fecal’ route, which means when we accidentally ingest feces through our mouths, which can happen in a myriad of ways

When noroviruses and rotaviruses enter our bodies, they can cause serious stomach illnesses that are difficult to cure, ranging from nausea and vomiting to severe cases of diarrhea. 

In some instances, those who are more vulnerable, like young children and the elderly, may even die from these infections.

This can happen when they attack our bodies as individual viruses, and now, we’ve learned it’s likely to be worse when those particles band together as vesicles.

It turns out that vesicles, which is the term for the multiple particles of a virus that have clustered together and formed a sort of membrane shell surrounding them, not only can hit our bodies more forcefully, but also are harder for our bodies to detect.

‘These viruses are sort of in stealth mode,’ Altan-Bonnet told NPR.

As they are sort of hidden beneath the membrane, it’s more likely that a vesicle will pass through our systems, undetected by our immune systems, until the viruses within the vesicle are ready to strike.

‘By being together, they infect an intestinal cell with a very high number simultaneously,’ Altan-Bonnet explains. ‘Multiple viruses go inside that same cell.’ 

A stock image of a norovirus particle is shown here, for which there is no vaccine at this time

A stock image of a norovirus particle is shown here, for which there is no vaccine at this time

Rotavirus cells are shown here in fluid; The vaccine for this virus must be administered prior to 15 weeks of age to be effective in preventing illness from infection with this virus

Rotavirus cells are shown here in fluid; The vaccine for this virus must be administered prior to 15 weeks of age to be effective in preventing illness from infection with this virus

Previously, it was thought that more numerous free-ranging individual particles would have a greater impact on a person, and be more contagious, simply because of more points of contact.

Instead, as a group, ‘They cooperate and compensate for each other’s insufficiencies,’ Altan-Bonnet said.

While there is not currently a vaccine for norovirus, there is one for rotavirus. Even that, though, must be administered before 15 weeks of age to be effective.

That limitation renders is basically useless in areas where access to medical care is limited, which are the same areas where contaminated drinking water and other conditions are likely to give rise to more cases of the virus, and where the vaccine would be needed most.

But this new research may help expand the way doctors can treat, and possibly prevent, these two common viral infections.

‘This research is going to lead to the development of different types of antiviral drugs — ones that target clusters differently,’ Altan-Bonnet said.

‘One way to do it is by targeting the membranes.’

 The NIH researchers next hope to extend this project to look at more viruses, whether they behave similarly in clusters, and how our bodies react to them in groups versus as free-ranging particles.

It’s also been confirmed that the common cold (rhinoviruses) can be transmitted in clusters, but the researchers are now looking at whether that virus, as well as the flu, can be transmitted to humans in vesicle form.

‘My prediction is yes,’ Altan-Bonnet said. ‘It just makes so much sense now to think that viruses want to be transported together in large numbers.’

Altan-Bonnets initial purpose to this research, started in  2015, was taking a look at using polioviruses to fight brain tumors.

She also hopes to apply these discoveries to furthering that research, and potentially experimenting with clusters of Polio to better attack tumors.



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