Virus

A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

What is a Virus?

A virus is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the cells of another organism.

What is the Difference Between Bacteria and Viruses?

Virus History

Virus Origins

Virus Microbiology

Virus Classification

Virus Infection in Other Species

Human Diseases Caused by Viruses

Virus Uses in Virology

Virus Purification Methods

What are Filoviruses?

Antiviral Immunity and COVID-19

See more featured articles »

What is Vertical Transmission?

What is a Viral Mutation?

What are Viral Clades?

Are Viruses a Lifeform?

What Are Giant Viruses?

Virus Eradication, Extinction, and Elimination Explained

Latest Virus News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 variant neutralization and novel mAbs reveal protection against Omicron in new research

Researchers assessed the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) transmission dynamics and neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).

19 Aug 2022

Researchers investigate human monkeypox infection without sexual exposure or viral prodrome

In a new study, researchers investigated a case of human monkeypox infection without sexual exposure or viral prodrome.

19 Aug 2022

Exploring a paralytic poliomyelitis case in an unvaccinated person

Researchers investigated the public health response to a paralytic poliomyelitis case in an unvaccinated person.

19 Aug 2022

Researchers provide comprehensive review of human monkeypox infections

In a new study, researchers reviewed the various aspects of human monkeypox infections.

19 Aug 2022

The seasonality of parturition and virus infection dynamics in a tropical bat population

Researchers evaluated the synchronicity of viral shedding pulses in two maternity colonies of free-tailed bats (Mormopterus francoismoutoui) in the Reunion Island of the South-Western Indian Ocean.

18 Aug 2022

The QCOVID4 algorithm developed using data from the Omicron wave identifies those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes

A recent article illustrated the derivation and validation of the QCOVID4 risk determination algorithm for predicting COVID-19 hospitalization and death risk in England.

18 Aug 2022

Host anti-viral factors and pathways regulating SARS-CoV-2 infection

In a new study, researchers identified host anti-viral factors and pathways regulating SARS-CoV-2 infection.

18 Aug 2022

Study finds hybrid immunity or booster vaccination provides more protection against Omicron infections than full vaccination alone

Researchers evaluated SARS-CoV-2 infection, re-infection, and vaccination trajectory during the Omicron wave in the United States.

18 Aug 2022

How do BNT162b2 vaccine-induced neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies synergize to promote protection against SARS-CoV-2?

Scientists explored the COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine triggered non-neutralizing and neutralizing antibody functions.

18 Aug 2022

Waning of humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 after 14 months of infection

Researchers assessed humoral immune responses to and neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of concern after two months (T1) and 14 months (T2) of asymptomatic or mild wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 infections.

18 Aug 2022

The potential European animal hosts and reservoirs of monkeypox

Researchers investigated all the potential animal hosts and reservoirs of poxviruses, including the monkeypox virus, to inform surveillance programs and mitigation procedures.

18 Aug 2022

Study highlights the lack of evidence-based clinical management guidelines for monkeypox

A dearth of high quality, up to date clinical guidance on monkeypox may be hampering effective and safe treatment of the infection around the world, concludes a review of what's available to guide patient care and published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

18 Aug 2022

Study detects asymptomatic monkeypox virus infection

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine aimed to assess the presence of MPVX in the anorectal samples of MSM who had undergone routine tests for sexually transmitted infections from 5th June to 11th July 2022.

17 Aug 2022

Majority of people infected with Omicron variant didn't know they had the virus, study finds

The majority of people who were likely infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, didn't know they had the virus, according to a new study from Cedars-Sinai investigators.

17 Aug 2022

Acid ceramidase is a SARS-CoV-2 host factor, study says

Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in cell cultures and in preparations from human lung tissue. This was demonstrated by researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in the summer of 2020. However, the mechanism of this inhibition was utterly unclear, so the teams continued their research.

17 Aug 2022

Study provides insights into understanding the biology of circulating Hepatitis E variants

Over three million people are infected with the hepatitis E virus every year. So far, no effective treatment is available. An international team has investigated which factors are important for the virus in the course of its replication cycle and how it manages to maintain the infection.

17 Aug 2022