Viral Disease News and Research

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Biologists discover why 10% of Europeans are safe from HIV infection

Scientists have known for some time that these individuals carry a genetic mutation (known as CCR5-Ä32) that prevents the virus from entering the cells of the immune system but have been unable to account for the high levels of the gene in Scandinavia and relatively low levels in areas bordering the Mediterranean.

9 Mar 2005

Schizophrenia may arise from a single genetic defect

Researchers have long puzzled over the apparently multiple causes of complex developmental disorders such as schizophrenia. Individuals seem to be predisposed to the disease by a tragic, mysterious combination of genetics, prenatal trauma, viral infection, and early experience.

16 Feb 2005

Research confirms how early-life events shape later physiology

Underscoring the value of good prenatal care, new research suggests that early infection may create a cognitive vulnerability that appears later during stress on the immune system.

8 Feb 2005

Findings could lead to new asthma treatment based on individual genetic profiles

Children who suffer from acute asthma attacks share a genetic profile that appears to be unique to these children, according to a new study by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The discovery opens the door to the possibility of designing treatments specifically tailored to children who suffer from the severest forms of asthma.

7 Feb 2005

Important and previously unrecognized trigger for breast cancer

A small sequence of DNA in the envelope (Env) protein of a mouse breast tumor virus (called MMTV) can transform breast cells into cancer cells, according to a study by Katz et al. in the February 7 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

31 Jan 2005

Exposure to infant siblings decreases multiple sclerosis risk

Adults who report having had higher exposure to infant siblings during their first 6 years of life have a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in the January 26 issue of JAMA.

26 Jan 2005

Penicillin V and erythromycin have no benefit for most adults with acute laryngitis

Two common antibiotics, Penicillin V and erythromycin, appear to have no benefit for most adults with acute laryngitis, says a research team led by Dr. Ludovic Reveiz of Bogota, Colombia.

24 Jan 2005

Researchers have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus

Researchers funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus, which causes the fatal neurological disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

17 Jan 2005

For uncomplicated colds antibiotics are not necessary

If a runny nose and congested chest have you thinking of antibiotics, think again.

3 Jan 2005

Landmark campaign, intends to help one million children under-five fight measles, polio and malaria

In the first nationwide campaign of its kind, Togo’s children will receive four life-saving interventions at once. The landmark campaign, launched today, intends to reach one million children under-five with vaccines to prevent measles and polio, mosquito nets to prevent malaria and deworming tablets.

14 Dec 2004

Start today of human tests for a preventive vaccine against the respiratory disease SARS

Powerful research tools that speed up vaccine development have led to the start today of human tests for a preventive vaccine against the respiratory disease SARS. The disease killed hundreds of people around the world before it was brought under control in 2003 with aggressive conventional public health measures.

13 Dec 2004

New technology will advance our understanding of role of complex sugar chains decorating the surface of cells in the body

An international consortium of scientists lead by Dr. James Paulson of The Scripps Research Institute has created a technology that will advance our understanding of the role of complex sugar chains (glycans or carbohydrates) that decorate the surface of cells in the body.

8 Dec 2004

Program triples hepatitis B vaccination rates in targeted regions of rural China

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and the China Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) announced the results of a collaborative grassroots education and vaccination program designed to fight the spread of one of China's most pressing health problems -- hepatitis B.

1 Nov 2004

New approaches for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Data from two ongoing studies testing new approaches for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) this afternoon.

1 Nov 2004

Discovery of fundamental mechanism within cells that link obesity and type 2 diabetes

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have discovered what they believe is the fundamental mechanism within cells that links two fast-rising public health threats: obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

18 Oct 2004

Hepatitis C infection increases likelihood of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma significantly

Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are six times as likely to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) than individuals that are virus free, according to research presented at the Third Annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting.

18 Oct 2004

EU to spend €188 million tackling animal diseases such as BSE

The European Commission has approved a financial package to fight animal diseases in the EU. The EU budget for 2005 will tackle transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and a range of other animal diseases that impact on animal and human health.

16 Oct 2004

Virginia Department of Health and the Get Smart Virginia program are urging consumers to become educated this cold and flu

Additionally, Governor Mark Warner has declared October 2004 Antibiotic Awareness Month in an effort to increase the public’s knowledge about the growing problem of resistance to antibiotic medications.

5 Oct 2004

Cutting levels of household allergens is unlikely to have much impact on childhood asthma

Cutting levels of household allergens, such as cat dander and dust mite, is unlikely to have much impact on the subsequent development of childhood asthma and respiratory allergies, suggests research in Thorax.

29 Sep 2004

Guideline evaluates treatments for postherpetic neuralgia

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology evaluates treatments for postherpetic neuralgia. The guideline is published in the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Sep 2004