SINGAPORE, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- A group of scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) have found Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMV), a common plant virus, residing in the human gut, according to a GIS press release on Wednesday.
"This is the first time that plant viruses like PMMV were found in high concentrations in human fecal matter," Ruan Yijun, senior group leader of the Cloning and Sequencing Group at GIS, was quoted as saying.
The findings suggest that "certain plant viruses can survive passage through the harsh environment of the human gastrointestinal tract and that a new viral transmission cycle mayexist between plant and humans," the press release said.
Ruan added that there are possibilities of using plant viruses to develop oral vaccines to prevent gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea.
The group will expand their research work to include more human subjects with a focus on understanding the potential impact of plant viruses on human health, said the press release. Enditem
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