Viral Disease News and Research

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Discovery of new genetic links to psoriasis

In the first comprehensive study of the genetic basis of psoriasis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered seven new sites of common DNA variation that increase the risk of the troublesome skin condition.

4 Apr 2008

Scientists discover how salmonella becomes lethal for AIDS patients

Nearly half of all HIV-positive African adults who become infected with Salmonella die from what otherwise would be a seven-day bout of diarrhea.

25 Mar 2008

Dengue fever warnings for WA and far north Queensland

The Health Department in West Australia say there is a sharp increase in the mosquito-borne viral infection Dengue fever in people returning from Indonesia.

19 Mar 2008

Researchers develop method to rapidly ID optimal drug cocktails

UCLA researchers have developed a feedback control scheme that can search for the most effective drug combinations to treat a variety of conditions, including cancers and infections.

18 Mar 2008

Study confirms link between colds and ear infections

A new five-year study at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston confirms the suspected close link between the two most common diseases of young children: colds and ear infections.

14 Mar 2008

New behavioral risk factors for head and neck cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have teased out two distinct sets of risk factors for head and neck cancers, suggesting that there are two completely different kinds of the disease.

12 Mar 2008

Rabies case confirmed in France

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has become aware of a case of confirmed rabies in a dog, diagnosed in France on the 26th February.

4 Mar 2008

Sanofi Pasteur helps tackle yellow fever in Latin America

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi-aventis Group, has announced that six million doses of Stamaril yellow fever vaccine have been shipped upon UNICEF's request to respond to the yellow fever epidemic in Latin America.

27 Feb 2008

Mosquito bourne diseases cause concern in three areas of Australia

Australian Health officials have issued public health warnings about mosquito bourne diseases in three areas.

25 Feb 2008

Pre-eclampsia linked to herpes virus

Australian researchers have discovered a viral link which they believe may help explain high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) and pre-term birth.

18 Feb 2008

Probiotics help keep elite athletes fit and well

According to the latest Australian research the immune system of long-distance runners was enhanced by probiotics - dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts.

13 Feb 2008

New bluetongue outbreak in the UK

A new case of bluetongue disease has appeared in the UK in the Greater London district of Watford.

11 Feb 2008

Risk factors for severe RSV infection in immunocompromised children

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators and collaborators have shown how to predict if a child who is infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while being treated for cancer or another catastrophic disease is at high risk for developing severe infection. The finding will help clinicians improve guidelines for managing these infected children.

4 Feb 2008

New discovery, immune cells confront viruses just inside of the lymph node

Vaccines have led to many of the world's greatest public health triumphs, but many deadly viruses, such as HIV, still elude the best efforts of scientists to develop effective vaccines against them. An improved understanding of how the immune system operates during a viral infection is critical to designing successful anti-virus vaccines.

4 Feb 2008

Researchers find cell protein that blocks HIV virus generation

UCLA researchers have found that a key protein in the body's dendritic cells can stop the virus that causes AIDS from "budding" part of the virus' life cycle that is crucial to its ability to replicate and infect other cells.

16 Jan 2008

FDA approves Tysabri to treat Crohn's disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tysabri (natalizumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease in patients with evidence of inflammation who have had an inadequate response to, or are unable to tolerate, conventional Crohn's disease therapies.

14 Jan 2008

Genomic screen identifies 273 human proteins required for HIV propagation

In some ways, HIV resembles a minimalist painter, using a few basic components to achieve dramatic effects.

11 Jan 2008

Experts say children with severe pneumonia are better off being treated at home

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says children with severe pneumonia are better off being treated at home instead of sending them to hospital.

6 Jan 2008

Genetic cause of Kawasaki disease

Researchers from Japan's RIKEN SNP Research Center, collaborating with a team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have discovered a new genetic variation that affects a child's risk of getting Kawasaki disease (KD), an illness characterized by acute inflammation of the arteries throughout the body.

17 Dec 2007

Ingredient found in human semen enhances HIV infection

A plentiful ingredient found in human semen drastically enhances the ability of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to cause infection, according to a report in the December 14, 2007, issue of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

14 Dec 2007