The new remedy could be the cure to the deadly MERS-Cov. (Photo : Reuters)
A new study has discovered that just one drop of blood is required to identify every virus people have during their entire lifetimes, such as those related to diabetes, hepatitis, or cancer. The $25 DNA blood test creates an almost complete 'blueprint.'
VirScan is the new test's name. The experimental test could compare disease patterns in population groups living in different parts of the world, and ailments among young and old people.
The blood testing tool can detect past exposures to over 1,000 virus strains from 206 species, according to The Silver Ink. This is nearly all human viruses.
The new blood test detects antibodies that the human immune system creates in its response to viruses. Antibodies are Y-shaped "specific proteins."
Human immune systems can produce antibodies for decades after the viral infection is killed, according to The Washington Post. This leaves a "blueprint" that VirScan can read.
Stephen Elledge is a professor at Harvard Medical School. He explained that the new test for viruses could inform people that they have ailments such as Hepatitis C.
Elledge shared that a viral infection can cause several diseases. Thus, a comprehensive blood test would be a powerful diagnostic tool that could show all exposures to viruses a person has ever had.
The researchers were especially surprised by the blood work results from people with the communicable disease HIV, which defied conventional wisdom. Their immune responses to nearly every virus skyrocketed.
Elledge admits that the new blood test is not perfect. However, he believes it is a "big step" in the mission of developing a complete analysis for viral infections.
The new study was published Thursday in the journal Science.
