Billions of Viruses Are Showering the Planet’s Surface in Every Moment

Billions of Viruses Are Showering the Planet’s Surface in Every Moment
Satellite image of a dust storm blowing large quantities of dust out over the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea on Saturday, December 13, 2003. Viruses can travel for thousands of miles by riding dust particles and water vapor. NASA
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You can’t see it but, this very moment, millions of viruses are falling on the ground around you. Some might originate from thousands of miles away, riding air currents and piggy-backing dust particles, a new study found.

Scientists first hypothesized decades ago that viruses could travel over great distances when they found genetically similar viruses occurring in very different environments around the globe. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers has uncovered not only how the viruses manage this feat but also in what numbers.