Unlike we previously believed, a new study has claimed that human beings give away more viruses to animals than vice versa.
One of the world’s deadliest human diseases had their origins in animals like AIDS and the latest COVID virus but the new study debunks the belief that only animals are to be blamed.
Twice As Many
According to a Reuters report, human beings give as many as twice more viruses than animals do.
The research article published by the University College London Genetics Institute suggests that the viral exchange has not been one-way.
Out of the total 12 million virus genomes being studied by the research group, 21% involved humans.
The study focused on 3,000 instances when viruses jumped from one species to another, and out of the 21% involving humans, 64% were human-to-animal transmissions.
“Viruses can jump between different species via the same modes of transmission that apply to humans, including direct contact,” said Cedric Tan, lead author of the study.
