Hundreds of novel viruses discovered in insects

New viruses which cause diseases often come from animals. Well-known examples of this are the Zika virus transmitted by mosquitoes, bird flu viruses, as well as the MERS virus which is associated with camels. In order to identify new viral diseases quickly and prevent possible epidemics, scientists are targeting their search at viruses in animals. In a current study, they have now discovered hundreds of novel viruses in insects.