Right under our noses. Viruses unknown to science were found on toothbrushes and shower heads

Scientists have identified more than 600 viruses in samples taken from bathrooms in the United States. The researchers found that shower heads and toothbrushes were teeming with viruses that had never been seen before.

While the thought of viruses on a toothbrush may cause a wave of anxiety, scientists are reassuring. According to experts, viruses infect bacteria, not humans, so there is no reason to worry, LiveScience writes.

"We found a lot of viruses that we know very little about and many others that we've never seen before. It's amazing how much untapped biodiversity is around us. And you don't even have to go far to find it, it's right under our noses," said lead author of the study, Northwestern University professor of microbiology Erika Hartmann.

Scientists estimate that there are about 1 trillion species of microbes on our planet, 99.9% of which remain undiscovered.

After examining the DNA in the bathroom samples, the scientists found that each individual sample was very different from the next. "We didn't see any overlap in the types of viruses between shower heads and toothbrushes. Each shower head and each toothbrush is like a separate little island," Hartmann emphasized.

According to the scientists, there is nothing to worry about, because viruses are bacteriophages that infect bacterial cells, not humans. "Microbes are everywhere, and the vast majority of them will not cause us to get sick," said Erika Hartmann.

And these newly discovered viruses can also be useful for developing treatments for antibiotic-resistant superbugs, the researchers suggest. Scientists are working to develop "phage therapy" that uses viruses to supplement or replace traditional antibiotics by repelling the defense of dangerous bacteria.

Viruses known as mycobacteriophages were the most common type found in the bathroom samples. These phages infect and kill mycobacteria, a broad group of microbes that includes some disease-causing germs, such as those that cause chronic lung infections, leprosy, and tuberculosis.

Therefore, by studying these new viruses, scientists hope to use them to create new antibacterial drugs.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that a new strain of the XEC coronavirus has already been detected in 27 countries on different continents. Experts express concern that it may soon become the dominant variant of COVID-19.

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