Is there a particular virus that can live longer than any others outside the body?

Question

If so, anyone know why?

Just curious ;-).

Thanx for any and all answers :-) :-).

Answer 1

Just some additional information.

There's actually a correlation between virulence and time that a virus can survive outside the body.  I don't remember the exact details of how the correlation works.

NewScientist had an article a couple of years back on this, and they had a short list comparing viruses, with survival times ranging from seconds to decades.

As for why, the general answer is quite simple:

Why it benefits the virus is that it allows them to exercise a sit-and-wait strategy more effectively.

How a virus survives for a long time is related to its physical protection.  More robust protein coats, or a more compact structure (not unlike spores) are simple examples, but I'm sure there are a lot of specialized features for specific environments.

Answer 2

Non-Enveloped Viruses Generally "Survive" (Infectivity) Longer than Enveloped Ones. DNA Viruses Longer than RNA Viruses.

EDIT: Of Interest:

http://www.virology.net/Big_Virology/BVH...

EDIT: Janet B, I Heard Long Ago (I don't Know if it is Actually True), that HAV Can "Survive" 30 Mins of Boiling (~212 F).

Answer 3

I once heard that Hep C can live on a counter top (non-porous surface) for over a week (at room temp), I think.  I worked at the blood bank, but that was over 11 years ago.

EDIT:  Google search...

Hepatitis A virus can live outside the body for months, depending on the environmental conditions. The virus is killed by heating to 185 degrees F (85 degrees C) for one minute. However, the virus can still be spread from cooked food if it is contaminated after cooking. Adequate chlorination of water, as recommended in the United States, kills hepatitis A virus that enters the water supply.  The hepatitis A virus can survive certain acids and some heat.  For a period of time and under certain conditions, HAV can survive in sea water, dried f***s and live oysters.

The hepatitis B virus, or HBV, can still be infectious for up to a week outside the body.

Some research suggests that the hepatitis C virus can remain active in dried blood for up to 2 months. More recent research (with chimpanzee blood) has found that the virus will remain active for at between 16 hours and 4 days.

PERHAPS THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...  

The smallpox virus is incredibly durable. The October 1999 issue of Discover magazine says, "A sample stored at room temperature may remain infectious for years." Anthrax is the same way.  

Have fun trying to figure out why...  You're going to need a virus expert on that one.