Abstract
Although many studies have been conducted in relation to the biological effects of extremely-low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields, there is little agreement as to their total effects on living organisms. Related to this, we are concerned with the viral infection system; consisting of viruses and cells, and the following infection process: (1) absorption, (2) penetration, (3) synthesis of viral components, (4) maturation, and (5) release. This system enabled us to observe the effects of ELF magnetic fields more easily than using experimental animals. We divided these five steps into two groups. The first group is called the absorption period, which includes steps (1) and (2). The second group is called the proliferation period, which includes the remaining steps. In this investigation, we compared the two groups from the viewpoint of the effects when they were exposed to a 50Hz 62mT magnetic field. As a result, the 50Hz 62mT magnetic field inhibited the growth of the virus as compared to sham exposures. When either the absorption period or the proliferation period was exposed to the 50Hz 62mT magnetic field, growth was inhibited as well. It was clearly proven that the 50Hz 62mT magnetic field has an inhibitory action on viral infections, and the action can be observed throughout all processes in the viral infection system.
