RNA viruses are rare in nature because they basically 'rot' inside hibernating bacteria unless they attack in groups.
April 14, 2026
Original Paper
Dormant Bacteria's Fatal Attraction to RNA Bacteriophages
bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.04.10.717849
The Takeaway
Dormant bacteria produce damaging molecules that slowly destroy the genomes of RNA viruses. This discovery explains why DNA viruses dominate the planet: RNA versions only survive if multiple viruses infect the same cell to provide genomic redundancy.
From the abstract
Phages are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, yet RNA phages are strikingly scarce compared to their DNA counterparts-a long-standing mystery in phage biology. Here, we use dsRNA phage phiYY as a model to demonstrate that while RNA phages efficiently infect growing bacteria, they are gradually eliminated inside dormant bacteria through weak and time-dependent ROS-mediated damage. The RNA phages decline over days rather than through immediate clearance inside dormant bacteria. Accord