Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Inflammation and organ damage in severe COVID-19 tied to mitochondrial dysfunction

Severe COVID-19 arises in part from the SARS-CoV-2 virus's impact on mitochondria, tiny oxygen-burning power plants in cells, which can help trigger a cascade of organ- and immune system-damaging events, suggests a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, along with other members of the COVID-19 International Research Team.

3 Dec 2024

Pregnancy strengthens immune defense against flu, study finds

McGill University scientists have discovered that pregnancy may trigger a natural immunity to boost protection against severe flu infection.

2 Dec 2024

Study reveals pathways behind organ damage in severe COVID-19

New research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on the pathways that drive organ damage and death in severe COVID-19 and helps explain why survivors of the disease can experience long-term complications.

2 Dec 2024

Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation restores walking after spinal cord injury

Scientists have identified neurons in the lateral hypothalamus that can be targeted through deep brain stimulation to improve walking after spinal cord injury (SCI). This innovative approach shows promise in both animal models and initial human trials, paving the way for groundbreaking treatments.

2 Dec 2024

Great ape museum specimens reveal secrets of DNA virus evolution

Scientists screened great ape museum specimens for DNA viruses, revealing insights into viral evolution and host-virus associations spanning decades.

2 Dec 2024

Researchers discover new cause of cytokine storm in COVID-19

As part of the COVID-19 International Research Team, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pittsburgh and Weill Cornell Medicine discovered a novel cause of cytokine storm - the extreme inflammatory response associated with increased risk of death in COVID-19 infection.

2 Dec 2024

Natural proteins may offer new way to treat covid-19 and autoimmune disorders

Some people naturally have higher levels of proteins that protect them from covid-19. New studies at Umeå University of our immune system may pave the way for more personalized treatments of both covid-19 and autoimmune disorders.

2 Dec 2024

Reinstating masking curbs hospital viral outbreaks, study confirms

Researchers investigate how changes in hospital policies for SARS-CoV-2 testing and masking have influenced hospital-acquired respiratory viral infections.

1 Dec 2024

Research paves the way for genetic control of disease-spreading ticks

Research collaboration by the Texas A&M Department of Entomology and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, creates potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ticks.

27 Nov 2024

DNA-based nanorobotic hand could block viruses and enable rapid diagnostics

A tiny, four-fingered "hand" folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.

27 Nov 2024

Telemedicine and peer support show promise in treating hepatitis C in rural areas

New research reveals a dramatic improvement in diagnosing and curing people living with hepatitis C in rural communities using both telemedicine and support from peers with lived experience in drug use.

27 Nov 2024

Study reveals key protein substitutions affect SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in mammals

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Zoonotic transmission of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been found to result in infections in more than 30 mammalian species.

27 Nov 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Public health and the dairy cow in the room

Public health, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the health world, is about the health of entire populations, rather than individuals.

26 Nov 2024

Growing gulf in US life expectancy deepened by COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers update their analysis from the original Eight Americas study to reflect current life expectancy disparities in the United States.

26 Nov 2024

Barcelona's wild boar population linked to hepatitis E infections in humans

Over the last few decades, wild boar populations have increased in the urban areas of Barcelona and in other parts of Catalonia.

26 Nov 2024

Immigration detention center contractor sues over California health inspections

GEO Group, one of the nation's largest private prison contractors, filed a federal lawsuit last month against California officials to strike down a state law allowing local public health officials to inspect immigration detention facilities.

26 Nov 2024

Barcelona launches world’s first joint program on evolutionary medical genomics

Three research institutions in Barcelona have teamed up to launch the world's first Joint Program on Evolutionary Medical Genomics.

22 Nov 2024

Advanced diagnostic kit developed for detecting highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus

The Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub), a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, and the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR BII), has successfully developed Steadfast, an advanced diagnostic kit for detecting the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV).

22 Nov 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump’s nontraditional health picks

President-elect Donald Trump is continuing to staff his incoming administration, and his picks so far for key health policy positions are particularly polarizing.

21 Nov 2024

Cigarette smoke can induce disordered oropharyngeal microbiota that aggravates flu severity

New research has shown that cigarette smoke can induce disordered oropharyngeal microbiota that aggravates the severity of influenza A virus infection.

20 Nov 2024