Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study reveals a unique vulnerability in melanoma patients with neurofibromin 1 mutations

Increased activity in a specific biological pathway may explain why many patients with a deadly form of skin cancer do not respond to the latest cancer treatments, a new study shows.

10 Jun 2025

Mental recovery after COVID lags behind physical recovery

New research finds that people with COVID-like symptoms returned to optimal physical well-being an average of three months after infection, but took up to nine months to return to top mental well-being.

10 Jun 2025

Early signs of breastfeeding failures after premature birth

A study on breastfeeding after premature birth identifies key factors affecting milk composition and volume, emphasizing the need for early support for mothers.

10 Jun 2025

Manganese-coordinated lipid nanoparticles boost VZV vaccine-induced T cell responses

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Because varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections are continually increasing, vaccine efficacy must be enhanced.

10 Jun 2025

Measles poses serious risks for pregnant people amid rising cases in Canada

Measles is on the rise in Canada and poses serious risks to pregnant people and their newborns, yet discussion about how to protect this vulnerable group is notably lacking.

9 Jun 2025

‘We dissent’: NIH workers protest Trump policies that ‘harm the health of Americans’

Hundreds of workers at the National Institutes of Health on Monday openly protested the Trump administration’s cuts to the agency and consequences for human lives, writing in a sharply worded letter that its actions are causing "a dramatic reduction in life-saving research."

9 Jun 2025

New COVID variant NB.1.8.1 spreads across continents amid calls for vigilance

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring the emergence of a newly identified SARS-CoV-2 variant, NB.1.8.1, a sublineage of the Omicron family. This variant was first identified in January 2025 and has rapidly spread across Asia and into other regions, including parts of the United States.

6 Jun 2025

In axing mRNA contract, Trump delivers another blow to US biosecurity, former officials say

The Trump administration's cancellation of $766 million in contracts to develop mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses is the latest blow to national defense, former health security officials said.

6 Jun 2025

New technique creates multimeric aptamers for precision virus targeting

We have all heard of antibodies – proteins produced by our bodies to bind to viruses or bacteria, marking them for elimination by the immune system.

6 Jun 2025

Compact diagnostic platform enables rapid COVID-19 antibody testing from fingertip blood

Researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with multiple collaborators, have developed a compact diagnostic platform that can evaluate antibody protection against COVID-19 using only a single microliter of fingertip blood.

5 Jun 2025

Norovirus GII.17 overtakes GII.4 as the dominant strain in US outbreaks

Norovirus GII.17 has rapidly overtaken GII.4 as the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks in the United States between 2022 and 2025. This unprecedented shift signals an urgent need for continued genomic surveillance and preparedness for future outbreak trends.

4 Jun 2025

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk

The stability of H5N1 in unpasteurized milk poses potential health risks. Study findings emphasize the need for awareness among consumers and dairy workers.

4 Jun 2025

Emerging bat viruses closely related to MERS show potential to jump to humans

A group of bat viruses closely related to the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) could be one small mutation away from being capable of spilling over into human populations and potentially causing the next pandemic.

4 Jun 2025

Study traces longstanding presence of African swine fever in Europe

A new study in Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the African Swine Fever virus, currently circulating in Europe, is not the result of a recent introduction.

4 Jun 2025

Individual immune variation shapes the evolution of influenza strains

A new study has shown that person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population.

3 Jun 2025

Real world data confirms effectiveness of nirsevimab in young infants with bronchiolitis

A single dose of the long-acting antibody nirsevimab developed to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infections (The drug has been approved at the European level to protect infants in their first season of exposure to the virus) to infants can halve hospitalizations for bronchiolitis.

3 Jun 2025

Study: New mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

3 Jun 2025

Study uncovers how HSV-1 disables the brain's antiviral defense

Infections caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can lead to HSV-1 encephalitis-a rare but deadly condition that inflames the brain.

3 Jun 2025

Gaps in surveillance leave European children at risk of acute flaccid myelitis

European researchers surveyed 28 countries and found acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) remains underreported, with only Norway maintaining dedicated surveillance. Most AFM cases coincided with years of high enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) circulation, highlighting gaps in monitoring and preparedness.

2 Jun 2025

Engineered viruses and gene therapy halt tumor growth and extend survival in mice

This study reveals the potential of engineered phage-IL-12 therapy in melanoma, enhancing immune response and tumor destruction in aggressive cancer models.

2 Jun 2025