Your viruses may tell scientists a bit more about your travel history. Researchers have identified genomes of two distinct strains of the virus that causes the common lip cold sore within a single person, which may help them trace a person's history.
Most people actually have HSV-1, which is a strain of the virus that is often acquired from their mothers shortly after birth. This virus is then carried for the rest of their lives. Now, though, it seems that two of the strains - one from European/North American variety and the other from an Asian variety - can reside within a single person. This, in particular, may actually help researchers track where a person travels.
"It's possible that more people have their life history documented at the molecular level in the HSV-1 strains they carry," said Derek Gatherer of Lancaster University.
In earlier studies, scientists found that where HSV-1 comes from can be predicted, more specifically, where Asian, African, and European/North American strains of the virus exist. Because this virus is often acquired early in life, it's possible that a personal strain of this virus can reflect the origins of the person.
"Using similar genetic fingerprinting of HSV-1 could help flesh out a person's life story, adding an extra layer of genetic information not provided by our genomes alone," Gatherer said. "Forensic virology could be on the way in the same way in which we use genetic fingerprinting of our human DNA to locate perpetrators at the scene of a crime and to help trace the relatives of unidentified bodies."
Currently, the researchers are working on better ways to sequence viral genomes from smaller amounts. This may actually allow scientists to identify and compare samples from diverse sources. More specifically, deep sequencing of this virus may actually reveal a bit more about the viral genetic diversity that individuals happen to harbor.
The findings reveal a bit more about this virus. More specifically, the scientists can actually use what they know about this virus in order to trace the origins of specific individuals. This, in turn, could help scientists learn a bit more about the life history of people.
The findings are published in the March 2016 journal Virology.
