Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Immunity to dengue can protect against Zika infection, study shows

In the epicenter of the Zika epidemic in northeast Brazil, 73 percent of people living in an urban slum in Salvador were infected in 2015. However, in this highly affected population, those with immunity to dengue, a genetically similar virus, had a reduced risk of infection with Zika.

8 Feb 2019

New research on viral biology could lead to efficient vaccines against leishmaniasis

New research from McGill University has found that a virus infecting the Leishmania parasite spreads by exploiting a mechanism used for cell-to-cell communication, a discovery that could pave the way to new vaccines against infections that cause severe disfiguration.

8 Feb 2019

High-risk sexually transmitted HPV may increase risk of cardiovascular disease

Infection with high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus, which have been linked to cancer, might increase the risk of heart and blood vessel or cardiovascular disease, especially among women with obesity or other cardiovascular risk factors, according to new research in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal.

7 Feb 2019

Swine fever outbreak spreads to five prefectures across Japan

Government health officials have reported an outbreak of swine fever in Japan that has spread over five prefectures, including Osaka.

7 Feb 2019

UNC-led scientists receive $5.1 million grant to combat cervical cancer in Malawi

Backed by a $5.1 million grant, University of North Carolina and University of Malawi College of Medicine physicians and scientists will launch a multi-pronged effort to combat cervical cancer in Malawi, a country in sub-Saharan Africa where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women.

7 Feb 2019

Trump pledges to end HIV transmission by 2030. Doable, but daunting.

Noting that science has "brought a once-distant dream within reach," President Donald Trump on Tuesday night pledged to eliminate HIV transmission within 10 years.

6 Feb 2019

Measles outbreak sends vaccine demand soaring, even among the hesitant

Demand for measles vaccine has surged in the Washington county where the highly contagious virus is linked to more than 50 confirmed illnesses this year — including among people who had previously shunned the shots.

6 Feb 2019

Study uncovers how lung tissue remodels to support immune response to influenza

Immunology researchers at the Babraham Institute have discovered how lung tissue in mice is remodelled in response to infection with influenza in order to support an immune system response.

6 Feb 2019

HIV-1 protein plays broader role in suppressing immune response than thought

Scientists have revealed how a protein produced by HIV-1 plays a broader role in suppressing the immune system's response to infection than previously thought.

6 Feb 2019

Call for a global alert on Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo

The Lancet has reported about the alarming status of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the 4th of this month following a reported 785 deaths due to the disease in the country.

6 Feb 2019

Measles warning in Western Australia

A measles warning has been issued in Western Australia after a passenger was diagnosed with the illness. The passenger was travelling with Singapore Airlines.

5 Feb 2019

New technology can detect any virus that poses a threat to humans

Researchers have developed a computational method that designs molecular “baits” for any strains of virus known to infect humans, including Zika virus.

5 Feb 2019

Powerful immune molecule silences barrel to protect transplanted organs from rejection

A powerful immune molecule helps protect transplanted organs from rejection by putting a silencer on two other immune molecules that converge to take a direct shot at the organ, scientists report.

5 Feb 2019

New disease surveillance tool enables early detection of viral outbreaks

During the Zika virus outbreak of 2015-16, public health officials scrambled to contain the epidemic and curb the pathogen's devastating effects on pregnant women. At the same time, scientists around the globe tried to understand the genetics of this mysterious virus.

5 Feb 2019