Viral Disease News and Research

RSS

Research uncovers mechanism that triggers inflammatory process by Mayaro virus

The mechanism by which defense cells respond to infection by Mayaro virus has been described by a team affiliated with the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases - CRID in an article published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

2 Dec 2019

Samoa measles epidemic escalates as death toll reaches 32

The deadly measles epidemic sweeping the Pacific islands has now claimed 32 lives in Samoa, according to the health authorities.

27 Nov 2019

Access to mobile phone location data can help understand spread of vector-borne diseases

Researchers from EPFL and MIT have shown that human mobility is a major factor in the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue even over short intra-city distances. In a paper published in Scientific Reports, the team compares different mobility models and concludes that having access to mobile phone location data can prove crucial in understanding disease transmission dynamics - and, ultimately, in stopping an outbreak from evolving into an epidemic.

15 Nov 2019

Uncovering the secret weapon of rabies viruses

In a new study published in the journal Cell Reports, scientists have discovered the exact site at which the immune system is disabled by the rabies virus, opening the way for a new and highly effective means of rabies prevention. This is a long-awaited discovery and could transform the field of rabies immunization.

13 Nov 2019

Dengue vaccine from Takeda shows promise

Officials have confirmed the initial success with trials of Dengue vaccine. Dengue, a viral disease borne by mosquitoes is considered to be one of the top ten health threats says the world Health Organization (WHO). Since the beginning of the outbreaks and the hundreds of deaths due to this infection, researchers have been on the lookout for vaccines to prevent this infection.

10 Nov 2019

Researchers make progress toward gene-based strategies to treat inherited neurometabolic diseases

Researchers are making great strides toward developing gene-based strategies to treat a variety of inherited neurometabolic diseases characterized by severe neurological involvement.

29 Oct 2019

WHO begins emergency vaccination campaign to slow measles outbreak in DR Congo

The WHO and government of the DR Congo have begun an emergency vaccination program to stop the spread of measles in the country.

27 Sep 2019

Low blood iron levels increase risk of Dengue

The more anemic you are, the more likely it is that you could spread dengue fever because mosquitoes feeding on your blood have a greater chance of picking up the virus. This was reported by a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on September 16, 2019.

17 Sep 2019

DNA vaccine for tick-borne disease ‘SFTS’ confers protection against lethal infection in ferrets

A KAIST research team reported the development of a DNA vaccine for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV) which completely protects against lethal infection in ferrets.

29 Aug 2019

Community-based wildlife mortality surveillance program could help prevent Ebola outbreaks

Human Ebola epidemics, like the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are known to start from a contact with wildlife infected with Ebola virus. In

29 Aug 2019

Nigeria on the brink of being polio free

There have been no reported cases of polio in Nigeria for the last three years and the nation may soon be declared free of the crippling viral disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria has come a long way since 2012 when it had almost half of the global number of polio cases.

21 Aug 2019

New gene-editing study finds protective genes against Zika virus

Tel Aviv scientists have discovered certain genes that protect the host organism against attack by Zika virus, raising hopes of an eventual vaccine or cure for this dreaded viral disease.

28 Jul 2019

Number of fully-immunized Australian kids hits record high

New data for the March quarter in 2019 revealed the immunization rates for all five-year-old children in the country increased to 94.78 percent from the previous record of 94.67 percent in December 2018.

7 Jul 2019

Nitrogen-rich diet reduces mosquitoes' ability to transmit Zika

Feed mosquitoes more nitrogen when they're young, and the adults are less likely to transmit the Zika virus, University of Florida scientists say. Now, researchers want to know why, and they're determined to discover how the findings can help further their research into the dangerous virus.

24 Jun 2019

FDA approves first vaccine for prevention of dengue disease in endemic regions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of Dengvaxia, the first vaccine approved for the prevention of dengue disease caused by all dengue virus serotypes (1, 2, 3 and 4) in people ages 9 through 16 who have laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection and who live in endemic areas.

6 Jun 2019

Study sheds light on the burden of dengue in Bangladesh

Dengue, also known as dengue fever, is a viral disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes.

24 May 2019

Experts Suggest Compulsory Measles Vaccination in Children Could Prevent Epidemic

Experts have suggested that compulsory measles vaccines before children start attending school may be necessary to prevent increasing disease incidence rates worldwide.

17 May 2019

Globally measles at an all time high

In the United States, the number of cases of vaccine-preventable viral disease measles is on a 25-year record high. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main reason behind this is inadequate vaccination of the general population. Spread of misinformation regarding vaccine safety is to be blamed for inadequate vaccination of the population says the agency.

30 Apr 2019

Measles vaccination rates are a 'public health time bomb'

The number of measles cases is on the rise globally, with many countries seeing rates that surpass annual rates for the past century. Public health officials are calling it a 'time bomb'.

25 Apr 2019

Measles epidemic kills over 1,200 in Madagascar

There have been a reported over 115,000 cases and over 1,200 deaths due to measles in Madagascar according to reports. This is one of the largest epidemics of a vaccine preventable viral disease in the recent times, say experts.

15 Apr 2019