SARS News and Research

RSS

Scientists seek broad, versatile countermeasures effective against several kinds of viruses, other pathogens

A group of University of Washington scientists is seeking broad, versatile countermeasures effective against several different kinds of viruses and other pathogens. The investigators are part of a national push for faster responses to unexpected infectious agents.

9 Apr 2014

PeptiDream develops novel macrocyclic peptide inhibitor for treatment of multiple influenza strains

PeptiDream Inc., a public Tokyo-based biopharmaceutical company ("PeptiDream")( TOKYO:4587) announced today, in collaboration with The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science ("Tokyo Metropolitan Institute") the discovery and development of a novel macrocyclic peptide inhibitor for the treatment of multiple influenza strains.

8 Apr 2014

New national research consortium focuses on better drug therapies for viral infections

Viral infections with limited or no treatment options can pose a major global health threat, but a new national research consortium centered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is focused on the discovery of new and better drug therapies as these viruses emerge.

24 Mar 2014

Upstream interventions may provide options to contain emerging pathogens at source

While many endemic infectious diseases of humans have been largely contained, new microbes continue to emerge to threaten human and animal health.

18 Feb 2014

Internet surveillance helps detect infectious diseases earlier than traditional surveillance methods

The habit of Googling for an online diagnosis before visiting a GP can provide early warning of an infectious disease epidemic.

18 Jan 2014

EcoHealth Alliance joins Bat Conservation International to conserve bats, safeguard human health

EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, and Bat Conservation International, which works to conserve bats and their habitats around the world, are joining forces in formal partnership.

3 Jan 2014

DNA vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent and treat deadly MERS coronavirus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that preclinical testing of a DNA synthetic vaccine for the virulent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) induced robust and durable immune responses, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon DNA vaccine to prevent and treat this deadly virus.

20 Nov 2013

EcoHealth Alliance discovers new SARS-like coronavirus in Chinese horseshoe bats

EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, announced the discovery of a new SARS-like coronavirus (CoV) in Chinese horseshoe bats.

31 Oct 2013

EcoHealth Alliance to study land use alteration in disease emergence, climate change in Asia

EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, announced the award of a three-year, $2 million award to address land use alteration as a significant driver of both disease emergence and climate change in Asia.

24 Sep 2013

Johns Hopkins establishes center to study ELSI of applying genomics to infectious disease treatment

The National Human Genome Research Institute has selected the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics to establish a "Center of Excellence" to study the ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research.

19 Sep 2013

Pew honors creative work on coronaviruses with biomedical researcher award

Cell biologist Carolyn Machamer, Ph.D is The Pew Charitable Trusts' biomedical researcher of the month for her creative work on coronaviruses. Specifically, Machamer studies how the family of viruses uses a host cell's machinery against it.

13 Sep 2013

Scientists estimate minimum of 320,000 viruses in mammals

Scientists estimate that there is a minimum of 320,000 viruses in mammals awaiting discovery. Collecting evidence of these viruses, or even a majority of them, they say, could provide information critical to early detection and mitigation of disease outbreaks in humans.

3 Sep 2013

Scientists determine new strategy to estimate total viral diversity in mammals

EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, and the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health announced a new strategy to identify the total number of wildlife viruses that could potentially cause emerging disease outbreaks that threaten both public and wildlife health.

3 Sep 2013

Researchers uncover how SARS coronavirus uses host cell to reproduce itself

UC Irvine infectious disease researchers have uncovered components of the SARS coronavirus - which triggered a major outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002-03 - that allow it to take over host cells in order to replicate.

23 Aug 2013

Researchers discover 100% genetic match for MERS in insect-eating bat in Saudi Arabia

A 100% genetic match for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been discovered in an insect-eating bat in close proximity to the first known case of the disease in Saudi Arabia. The discovery points to the likely animal origin for the disease, although researchers say that an intermediary animal is likely also involved.

22 Aug 2013

Organizations are ill prepared for e-health implementation to respond to pandemic influenza

National and international organizations are ill-prepared to exploit e-health systems in the event of the emergence of a major pandemic disease, according to a research paper to be published in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.

17 Aug 2013

Scientists provide insight into emergence of inter-species transmittable viruses

Outbreaks such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) have afflicted people around the world, yet many people think these trends are on the decline.

13 Aug 2013

Strategy that dismantles flu viral genome in human lung cells ensures safe research

A new strategy that dismantles a viral genome in human lung cells will ensure safe research on deadly strains of influenza, say researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

13 Aug 2013

Researchers find antibodies specific to MERS-CoV in dromedary camels

Researchers searching for signs of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in livestock animals have found antibodies specific to the new virus in dromedary camels. The research, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggests that these animals have encountered MERS-CoV, or a closely related virus, and may be one reservoir of the virus that is causing MERS in humans.

9 Aug 2013

Saudi and UK scientists provide detailed picture of MERS coronavirus

Saudi and UK scientists provide the most detailed picture yet of the clinical and laboratory characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, revealing a wide range of clinical symptoms and an extremely high death rate among patients with co-existing medical conditions.

29 Jul 2013