Genetically altered Nidoviruses could spark the next pandemic, researchers find

Scientists have raised concerns that the merging of different viruses, referred to as ‘crossbreeding,’ could result in the creation of entirely new and potentially more dangerous viruses. Virologists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) warn that these new viruses could lead to another pandemic similar to COVID-19. This natural evolution happens when various virus species combine to form new pathogens within vertebrates.

Stefan Seitz, a group leader at DKFZ, explained, “Using a new computer-assisted analysis method, we discovered 40 previously unknown nidoviruses in a range of vertebrates, from fish to rodents, including 13 coronaviruses.”

The Vast, Unexplored World of Viruses
Researchers emphasize that the majority of viruses remain unknown to humans because scientific research has traditionally focused on viruses that affect humans, domestic animals, and crops. However, the new AI-assisted method allowed scientists to analyze 300,000 data sets and extract valuable information efficiently.

Understanding Nidoviruses
Nidoviruses contain ribonucleic acid (RNA) and have unique characteristics that set them apart from other RNA viruses, indicating their genetic relationships. The study revealed that when host animals are simultaneously infected with different viruses, new viruses can emerge through the recombination of viral genes.

Seitz noted, “The nidoviruses we discovered in fish often exchange genetic material between different virus species, even crossing family boundaries.”

This genetic evolution becomes more pronounced and significant when viruses from entirely different families interact, potentially leading to the creation of viruses that cause severe and lethal diseases in host animals.

Seitz further explained, “A genetic exchange, as observed in fish viruses, is likely to occur in mammalian viruses as well.”

These natural crossbreeding processes among viruses can easily occur in bats, which are known to harbor numerous viruses within their bodies. Researchers believe that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic, may have also developed through similar processes in bats.