This blood test can tell you every virus you’ve ever had

washingtonpost.com ^ | June 4 | Brady Dennis

[BenLurkin]

The new test, known as VirScan, works by screening the blood for antibodies against any of the 206 species of viruses known to infect humans, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The immune system, which churns out specific antibodies when it encounters a virus, can continue to produce those antibodies decades after an infection subsides. VirScan detects those antibodies and uses them as a window in time to create a blueprint of nearly every virus an individual has encountered. It's a dramatic alternative to existing diagnostic tools, which test only for a single suspected virus.

[lonestar]

Test costs $25 according to FOX News.

[mad_as_he$$]

WHOA! I expected $2,500!

[G Larry]

Cool!

Cuz I had either measles or chick pox as a kid, but I don’t recall which.

[Paleo Conservative]

I wonder if it can tell the difference between exposure to a vaccine vs exposure to the actual diseases. I could imagine this could be useful for criminal forensics too.

[Karl Spooner]

What good is this if modern medicine they can't cure the common cold?

[TigersEye]

They found that the average person has been exposed to 10 of the 206 different species of known viruses -- though some people showed exposure to more than double that number.

That's interesting. I expected the figure to be much higher.

[fatnotlazy]

I had them both. Also had the mumps. In those days there were no vaccines and having these childhood diseases was rather routine — like a rite of passage or something.

[bgill]

Whew, NSA was worried about those 6 missing days from your medical history.

[TigersEye]

Test costs $25 according to FOX News.

Thanks, that is just what I was wondering about. Now to find a place to get the test without paying $100+ bucks for a doctor's office visit.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

What about the kitty poop virus? I’ve had catz since I was two years old. Wouldn’t be without one! But the last 30 years they’ve all been inside girlies.

[mrs ippi]

thius is wonderful news. Does it work on computers?

[TigersEye]

I can’t remember if I had measles or not. I do recall having chicken pox and two outbreaks of shingles over the years did a great job of refreshing my memory on that.

[Karl Spooner]

Yep, cancer is a wonderful thing. You create more jobs when you get it. Slightly offcourse, but they want everyone to run to man for your life. Even when it makes no sense.

[eyedigress]

They can tell you if you ever had one.

[TigersEye]

I’m not following your post at all.

[Karl Spooner]

They can tell you if you ever had one.

[dila813]

I took the test, it detected 14 unidentified but common viruses:
1. The Pelosi Virus
2. Democraps Virus
3. Rino virus

....
I am doomed!

[Capt. Tom]

The new test, known as VirScan, works by screening the blood for antibodies against any of the 206 species of viruses known to infect humans,

Can't you have antibodies against viruses without actually having had the virus?? -Tom

[ClearCase_guy]

So, here’s my question:

Isn’t every rhinovirus (common cold) a rather unique virus? Isn’t that why it’s so hard to cure the common cold? Because it’s different every time? If this test lists every virus you’ve had, won’t it list about 60 colds that you’ve had in your lifetime? And do they all have names? I mean, the “mumps” virus is one thing, but the cold I had in the winter of 1979 was really bad — but how will it be identified (named)?