Can be transmitted even through water: new cancer spreads like a virus

Researchers have published the discovery of two ancient types of cancerous tumors that cause leukemia-like symptoms in mollusks. Scientists have noticed that cancer underwater has undergone a "long evolution."

The research was published in the journal Nature Cancer. It is titled "Somatic evolution of marine vector-borne leukemia in the common cockerel".

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It is noted that these cancers are able to spread in the aquatic environment, where the infection is transmitted by tumor cells that float freely in the water, like microscopic bacteria. After contact with mollusks, these tumor cells enter the host body, where they begin to multiply.

The mechanism of infection is similar to that observed among Tasmanian devils, a carnivorous marsupial mammal that can transmit cancer cells, either through bites or mating.

Contagious cancer is rare in nature and is limited to a small number of animal species. However, these new studies conducted on mollusks raise concerns about the possible existence of other forms of cancer that could pose a threat to humans.

Previously, scientists have studied the effects of chemical fertilizers on the human body and concluded that they can destroy the brain.

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