Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Bird flu found in parrot in Britain

According to the agriculture ministry in Britain, a parrot has died in quarantine and has been found to have the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu.

23 Oct 2005

Taiwan to produce its' own version of Tamiflu

Taiwan has apparently responded to bird flu fears by starting work on its own version of the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, without waiting for the manufacturer's consent.

23 Oct 2005

Importance of the drug Fuzeon (enfuvirtide) in the management of HIV

New potent combinations make suppression of virus to undetectable levels more achievable for treatment-experienced HIV patients.

20 Oct 2005

Hepatitis C linked to illegal blood donation in China

Research in a rural province of central China has documented that illegal blood donation practices led to high hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in blood and plasma donors during the 1980s and early 1990s, and that failure to screen for HCV in transfusion recipients increased their risk of infection as well

20 Oct 2005

Identification of a factor in human milk that can block HIV-1 transmission

Mother to child transmission of HIV accounts for a large proportion of HIV infections in children, with many infected as a result of breastfeeding, which requires transfer of the virus across mucosal barriers. DC-SIGN, a DC lectin receptor, interacts with HIV and is found at high expression levels in tonsillar tissue.

20 Oct 2005

Avian flu and planning for pandemic

Influenza season is almost upon us. While it is impossible to tell whether we are going to experience a usual flu season -- with one in every five people falling ill -- or whether we are facing a more serious problem such as a dangerous new strain capable of causing a global pandemic, information is important.

20 Oct 2005

Zambia to try 'herbal remedy' as a treatment for HIV/AIDS

The United Nations paints a grim picture of the health situation in Zambia. One in every six adults in Zambia is living with HIV, life expectancy at birth is below 40 years and 630,000 children in Zambia are AIDS orphans.

20 Oct 2005

Blocking macrophage migration inhibitory factor molecule might prevent the progression of multiple sclerosis

A new study suggests that a substance made by immune cells plays a key role in the progression of a disease in animals that closely mimics multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings further suggest that blocking the molecule, known as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) might prevent the progression of the disease.

19 Oct 2005

A DNA-based vaccine could be a potent weapon against bird flu

Researchers scrambling to combat a virulent form of bird flu that could mutate into a form easily spread among humans should consider developing vaccines based on DNA, according to British biochemical engineers.

19 Oct 2005

As Europe panics, global co-operation urged in the fight against birdflu

As the panic about bird flu spreads across Europe, EU foreign ministers are urging global cooperation in efforts to tackle the threat of the deadly virus.

19 Oct 2005

Third nationwide polio drive in Indonesia in attempt to eliminate the disease

Indonesia which is still battling to eliminate the recurring outbreak of polio, will hold a third nationwide polio immunisation drive in November to try to finally stamp out the crippling disease.

19 Oct 2005

Steroids and the chicken pox are a bad combination for children

Children who have been treated with steroids and are exposed to chicken pox tend to have a more severe case of the virus, according to pediatric oncologists at Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Oct 2005

Bayer to produce new Tuberculosis drug at low prices for poor nations

A promising new antibiotic, moxifloxacin, produced by Bayer Healthcare is about to be tested against tuberculosis, a disease that kills 5,000 people a day.

18 Oct 2005

Bird Flu now confirmed in Greece

Greece has become the first country in the European Union to confirm its first case of bird flu, although cases are being tackled in Turkey and Romania.

18 Oct 2005

New approaches to counteract platelet shortages

Availability of safe platelets is a fundamental blood transfusion challenge and can be especially problematic in times of emergency. Several studies presented at the annual American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) meeting today demonstrate new approaches to counteract platelet shortages by enhancing the safety of whole blood derived platelets, precluding the need to rely on only those obtained through apheresis.

17 Oct 2005

WWOX gene finding could lead to a new strategy for treating lung cancer

The research focused on a gene known as WWOX, which is lost or silenced in a large majority of lung cancers, and in cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, bladder, esophagus and pancreas. The work was led by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

17 Oct 2005

New treatment for the pediatric eye cancer retinoblastoma

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in laboratory studies a new treatment for the pediatric eye cancer retinoblastoma that appears to be more effective than the current standard therapy, and more likely to prevent the recurrence of this cancer. A report on their work appears in the October 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

17 Oct 2005