A blood test still in its experimental stages can show every virus a human has ever had. The test, VirScan, only requires a single drop of blood and can be performed cheaply, for as little as $25. It is capable of detecting over a thousand virus strains from 206 species, which is nearly every virus to ever infect a person. VirScan looks for antibodies that the body has made in response to viral infections, and draws up a list of viruses.
Scientists see test as important future research tool.
The blood test is likely to be extremely useful in the tracking of disease spread patterns all over the world. Researchers would be able to compare data belonging to people residing on different continents, or from different age groups, and see correlations. The test may also help determine if viruses or if the way our bodies’ immune defenses react to them may lead to chronic diseases or cancers.
VirScan tested on nearly 600 people on four continents.
Scientists tried the test on 569 people in Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States. They found that most humans had seen exposure to around ten viruses, with some being exposed to as many as 25. Hopefully, with a larger sample size, more precise estimates can be made as to the average human’s exposure.
Experimental test has already given surprising results.
A few of VirScan’s weird findings are getting scientists’ attentions. First off, the immune response was extremely similar from person to person, since the antibodies found were very similar. Second, people with HIV, who were expected to have a lower amount of immune response than healthy people, actually turned out the other way. Their immune systems displayed exaggerated responses to nearly all viruses, leaving scientists scratching their heads.
Blood test has few limitations.
VirScan’s only real flaw is that it can possibly neglect to detect very small viruses, or very old ones to which the immune response had decreased substantially. The only other problem the test now has is that it needs to be properly developed and brought to market. Research that led to VirScan’s completion was paid for by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and completed by Brigham Women’s Hospital, which has applied for a patent on the blood test. Now, though, the test needs a company to carry it the rest of the way and make it viable.
New Blood Test Detects Every Virus You’ve Had
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