Viruses That Are Making the World a Better Place

Many individuals have bought into the myth that viruses only exist to hurt us and wreak havoc on our planet. However, the truth is that without viruses, many important scientific advancements and discoveries would not have been feasible. Viruses are not all bad and are a critical part of our way of life. Here are five viruses that actually make the world a better place.\r \r 1. Bacteria Eating Viruses\r \r Viruses called phages infect harmful bacteria and are considered as the major predators of the bacterial world. They were formally called Bacteriophages which means “bacteria eater.” Phages kill selective target bacteria. They have shown to fight to destroy bacteria that are resistant to certain medications. When some antibiotics fail, phages kill those superbugs. These viruses have been used to save the lives of persons with major infections. Phages are harmless to people, animals and plants. The virus binds to the bacteria and makes them burst or lyse. Phage therapy is often used as an alternative to antibiotics.   \r \r 2. Systemic Viruses\r \r When young children contract viral infections at a young age, it helps ensure the proper development of the immune system. Systemic viruses at low levels continuously stimulate the immune system to help develop resistance to other infections. Some viruses help the body develop long lasting immunity. Natural immunity is the antibody protection the body creates when infected with a virus. For example, people who have had the measles are not likely to get it again. It has been found that natural immunity to some diseases can weaken over time.\r \r 3. Live Virus Vaccines\r \r Vaccines are made up of viruses or parts of them. This active component of the vaccines is called antigens and it is what triggers an immune response when it’s in the body. Weakened or attenuated forms of a virus are used in live virus vaccines. These vaccines help the immune system recognize and mount an immunity against the virus when injected into a healthy person.  The body remembers the organism and attacks it in case of a later infection thus preventing the disease. Children are given these vaccines to ensure that they never contract these illnesses in the future. Some examples of these vaccines include measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.\r \r 4. Cancer-Fighting Viruses\r \r Common viruses are now being engineered to seek out and destroy cancer cells. Herpes, the virus that causes the common cold sore, should no longer be seen as only a nuisance but also a weapon in the fight against cancer, thanks to scientific engineering. A genetically modified herpes virus was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat late-stage melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer. This oncolytic virus therapy relies on viruses to attack cancer cells while simultaneously stimulating the body’s immune response against the tumor. Immunotherapy, a dynamic field of cancer therapy that has developed quickly in recent years, includes oncolytic viruses.\r \r 5. Viruses That Support the Ecosystem    \r \r Viruses play a critical role in the ecosystem. Every day, marine viruses kill nearly half of the ocean’s bacteria and around one-fifth of the microbes. The removal of these microbes leaves the oxygen-producing plankton with sufficient nutrients to support high rates of photosynthesis. Scientists have also found that viruses are important for species control. Overpopulation of a species can affect the balance of nature. When one species becomes overpopulated, a virus frequently emerges and decimates the population. Without viruses, the world's biodiversity would decline significantly.