The symptoms are caused by six or seven different groups of viruses with about 200 viruses amongst those groups.
However, neither of these two groups of viruses is routinely screened for in Irish hospital laboratories.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to detect groups of viruses with the use of group-specific degenerate primers.
Surprisingly, the findings suggest that groups of viruses long thought to be distinct share a common replication mechanism.
Other groups of viruses, such as adeno-associated viruses (AAV), reputedly produce safer vectors, because they stay outside their host's genome without inserting their DNA.
Metagenomic analyses of viruses have largely expanded since those initial studies, leading to the discovery of novel groups of viruses and virus-like agents that collectively constitute a huge genetic reservoir (Kristensen et al. 2010; Suttle 2007).
"Experts say, 'So, which groups of viruses fit [the NBO] category?'" said Quammen.
Homologous recombination occurs in several groups of viruses.
"Experts say, 'So, which groups of viruses fit [the NBO] category?'" said Quammen, "and one of the things they point to is the coronaviruses.
"There are certain families of viruses and groups of viruses that are on the watch list of special concern, because they have the potential to cause the next big outbreak, which might become an epidemic, which might even become a pandemic.
However, VP2/H proteins from both groups of viruses share coiled-coil regions and predicted N-terminal transmembrane domains.
