We're running a series on the rise of killer viruses. If there's something you'd like to know, ask us. We'll answer reader queries in an upcoming story.
Carp are a major food source, but they've been plagued by viruses. Scientists now say they have a simple solution. And along the way, they hit on an ancient commonality between fish and people.
Over the past 60 years, the number of new diseases cropping up in a decade has almost quadrupled. "We're in a hyperinfectious world," says one scientist.
Think of it as a gift within a gift. Some beneficial gut bacteria contain viruses called "bacteriophages." And some of these phages now have been associated with good intestinal health in humans.
A virus is generally like a little ball with a few genes. Now scientists have found one that's broken up into five little balls — as if it were dismembered.