Is Covert Mortality Nodavirus the first marine virus known to infect humans?

Analysis Reasoning

The post claims CMNV is 'the first known case of a marine virus infecting humans,' but this is misleading. While CMNV is the first marine virus definitively linked to a specific human disease (persistent ocular hypertension viral anterior uveitis), other marine-origin viruses have previously infected humans. Notably, ATCV-1, an algal virus, was found in human brain tissue years before the CMNV cases, and H5N1 avian influenza (which spreads through marine birds) has infected humans since 1997.

Cited Sources

• 01
  Nature Microbiology - Virus from seafood linked to persistent eye disease

  https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-virus-seafood-linked-persistent-eye.html

• 02
  Science Magazine - Algal virus found in humans, slows brain activity

  https://www.science.org/content/article/algal-virus-found-humans-slows-brain-activity

• 03
  PMC/NCBI - First human case of H5N1 in Chile

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10481412/