Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Research suggests the possibility of an effective treatment for Hendra virus infections in humans

A scientific team from CSIRO and the US has demonstrated that administering human monoclonal antibodies after exposure to Nipah virus, which is closely related to Hendra virus, protected animals from challenge in a disease model.

31 Oct 2009

Administration officially ends HIV travel ban

The Washington Post reports: "President Obama called the 22-year ban on travel and immigration by HIV-positive individuals a decision 'rooted in fear rather than fact' and announced the end of the rule-making process lifting the ban.

31 Oct 2009

Researchers report an epidemic of sexually-transmitted HCV infection among HIV-infected men in NY City

Researchers in New York City are reporting their work uncovering a new epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) who have HIV infection.

30 Oct 2009

CDC study finds swine flu may have infected as many as 5.7 million Americans

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new swine flue estimates that suggest the number of people affected by the disease is much greater than the 43,677 cases confirmed earlier.

30 Oct 2009

Idenix Pharmaceuticals reports phase I study results of IDX184 for treating HCV

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced presentations of data on IDX184, a once-daily novel liver-targeted nucleotide prodrug of 2'-methyl guanosine (2'MeG) for the treatment of HCV, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) currently being held in Boston, Massachusetts.

30 Oct 2009

Patients on immunosuppressant medication can receive H1N1 vaccine in the form of shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have classified all children, 6-months to 24-years, one of the high risk groups for contracting the H1N1 (swine) flu, and recommend this population receive the H1N1 vaccine for immunity against the disease.

30 Oct 2009

Scientists present new perspective on antigenic drift of flu viruses

Influenza viruses evade infection-fighting antibodies by constantly changing the shape of their major surface protein. This shape-shifting, called antigenic drift, is why influenza vaccines-which are designed to elicit antibodies matched to each year's circulating virus strains-must be reformulated annually.

30 Oct 2009

Most children visit hospitals with mild flu-like symptoms and fever

The CHU Sainte-Justine and The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre are currently seeing a significant increase in patients in their Emergency Departments. Children are arriving with mild flu-like symptoms and fever.

30 Oct 2009

Viral protein could be a major player in SARS virulence

Ever since the previously unknown SARS virus emerged from southern China in 2003, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston virologists have focused on finding the source of the pathogen's virulence - its ability to cause disease. In the 2003 epidemic, for example, between 5 and 10 percent of those who fell sick from the SARS virus died, adding up to more than 900 fatalities worldwide.

30 Oct 2009

Risk of serious flu-related sickness far outpaces risk of injectable vaccine in pregnant women

Pregnant women who catch the flu are at serious risk for flu-related complications, including death, and that risk far outweighs the risk of possible side effects from injectable vaccines containing killed virus, according to an extensive review of published research and data from previous flu seasons.

30 Oct 2009

AMERIGROUP announces financial results for the third quarter of 2009

AMERIGROUP Corporation today announced that net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $22.5 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, versus $37.9 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2008. Third quarter earnings are in line with the preliminary earnings range that the Company issued on October 26, 2009, and reflect elevated medical costs associated with the onset of what appears to be a severe flu season due to the H1N1 virus.

30 Oct 2009

Mintel predicts increased sales of OTC drugs in upcoming months

Autumn has arrived in the northern hemisphere and with shades of yellow and orange comes a less-welcome visitor: cold and flu season. Made worse this year by the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, people around the world are flocking to drugstores and supermarkets to stock up on over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, says market research firm Mintel.

30 Oct 2009

Research team reports advances in development of an effective therapy against the Nipah and Hendra virus

A collaborative research team from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against two deadly viruses, Nipah virus and the related Hendra virus.

30 Oct 2009

Leading gynecologist recommends flu shots for pregnant women

Randy A. Fink, MD says pregnant women ought to be shot – with a flu vaccination needle. “A flu shot offers double protection to both mother and baby,” says Dr. Fink, a Miami board certified specialist who was recently named one of “America's Top Obstetrician/Gynecologists” by the Consumer Research Council.

30 Oct 2009

Antioxidants may hold the key in preventing severe flu-related lung damage

As the nation copes with a shortage of vaccines for H1N1 influenza, a team of Alabama researchers have raised hopes that they have found an Achilles' heel for all strains of the flu-antioxidants. In an article appearing in the November 2009 print issue of the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) they show that antioxidants-the same substances found in plant-based foods-might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on our lungs.

30 Oct 2009

Women face higher risk of graft loss after liver transplantation compared to men

Although women with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at lower risk for developing cirrhosis, researchers who compared outcomes for men and women after having liver transplantation found that women have a significantly increased risk of overall graft loss and graft loss from recurrent HCV than men.

30 Oct 2009

TGen to secure emergency FDA approval for 2009 H1N1 flu test

The Phoenix-based non-profit Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) announced today that, along with a business collaborator, it will submit a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use of a new test to diagnose the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus.

30 Oct 2009

FluGen's CHO-cell-based production system generates egg-free, 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine virus

FluGen Inc., an emerging leader in the development, production and delivery of influenza vaccines, today announced that its proprietary CHO-cell-based production system has generated novel 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine virus without the use of eggs during any step of production.

30 Oct 2009

All Canadians need to be immunized against H1N1: CPHA

The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) announced today that it is encouraging Canadians to get the H1N1 vaccination. To help people make an informed choice, it is launching a new online portal of information.

30 Oct 2009

Antiviral protein produced by immune system can tame HIV and other viruses, show researchers

Researchers have shown how an antiviral protein produced by the immune system, dubbed tetherin, tames HIV and other viruses by literally putting them on a leash, to prevent their escape from infected cells.

30 Oct 2009