2022-05-28

科学家们发现，病毒会形成一种捉弄人的 “隐性球体” 以导致我们生病。英国国家卫生研究所（National Institutes of Health）的团队称，他们的发现将改写教科书中有关感染的内容。

We normally think of viruses as 'lone1 wolves', each waging a solo campaign of infection. But inside the stool samples of patients with either norovirus or rotavirus, scientists discovered something new. Up to 40 viruses were gathering2 together and wrapping themselves up in a sphere of fat.

我们通常认为病毒是 “独行侠”，每个病毒都各自组织感染人体的活动。但在诺如病毒或轮状病毒携带者的粪便样本中，科学家们发现了一种新的形态。有将近四十个个病毒聚集在一起，把自己包在一个脂肪球里。

Experiments, published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, showed the spheres gave the viruses huge advantages. They acted like an invisibility cloak that hid the viruses from the immune system, protected them from harsh environments including stomach acid, and helped them overwhelm their target cells in the intestines3. Norovirus infections started by these spheres were more severe and lasted longer than those caused by lone viruses.

发布在《细胞 · 宿主与微生物》期刊上的一系列实验结果显示，该球状体给病毒带来了很大的优势。它们就像一顶隐形斗篷，让免疫系统无从发