Can Viruses Cross from Plants to Animals?
The question of whether viruses can cross from plants to animals was raised in the course of the debate on the hazards of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) promoter used in practically all GM crops. There is indeed evidence that viruses may have crossed from plants to animals. Also, similar viral sequences have integrated into the genomes of both plants and animals, which suggests that sequences may have moved from animals to plants. Transposons (jumping genes related to viruses) and endogenous viruses are now found in the genomes of all higher organisms, plants and animals included. All these recent findings have important implications for the ecological and health impacts of GM crops, which have not been adequately addressed by our regulatory authorities. The circoviruses are small single stranded DNA viruses that cause serious infections of the digestive systems of humans and other animals, particularly pigs and chickens. They also cause infections in clover, banana and coconut. T
