The world’s largest virus has been found in the ocean off the coast of Chile. The size isabout 10 to 20 times the length of the virus in general. The name of this virus Chilensis Megavirus larger than the previous discovery of Mimivirus the largest virus.

Mimivirus was discovered in 1992 in a water tower in the town of Bradford, England.While the newly discovered giant virus infects the marine amoeba. This according to its inventor Megavirus even bigger than bacteria.

“No need an electron microscope to see it, you can see with ordinary light microscope,”said Professor Jean-Michel Claverie of Aix-Marseille University in France, the pioneerwho discovered the virus.

Professor Richard Barry, a virus expert from the University of Newcastle School ofBiomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, said that the discovery Megavirus that can be seen with light microscopy is very significant.

“Generally the size used to be one of the defining characteristic of the virus, the virus is too small to see,” said Professor Barry, who was not involved in the discovery.

Like all other viruses, Megavirus breed by attacking another cell and forcing it toproduce new copies of the virus.

“Maybe this virus plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem, meaning that hemaintain the environmental balance between these small animals. The role ofmagnitude, the virus is there to control the population of amoebae,” said BarryProfessory.

“This is a very exciting discovery, not surprising that the virus was found in the marine environment. Over the last 20 to 30 years, there is good progress with no viruses foundin fish,” he said as quoted by BBC News.