West Nile Virus News and Research

Latest West Nile Virus News and Research

The enigma of post-acute infection syndromes

In a recent review published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers summarized known literature findings of the unexplained post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs).

20 May 2022

Rural California hatches plan for engineered mosquitoes to battle stealthy predator

Bryan Ruiz moved his family into a newly built home in this Central Valley farming center seven months ago and almost immediately found they were under assault.

10 May 2022

New technology to make temporary genetic modifications tested in mosquitoes

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have tested a technology to make temporary genetic modifications in mosquitoes. The modifications self-delete over time.

3 May 2022

Bats carry some of the most virulent, but not the most dangerous zoonotic viruses

A recent analysis reveals that bats harbor the most virulent zoonotic viruses when compared to birds.

3 Apr 2022

Groundbreaking collaborative work defines the risk of SARS-CoV-2 variants on immune protection

In a paper in the journal Nature, Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists Bette Korber, Hyejin Yoon, Will Fischer and James Theiler, among nearly 130 authors from institutions around the world, describe their groundbreaking collaborative work, "Defining the risk of SARS-CoV-2 variants on immune protection."

1 Apr 2022

Climate change may push the US toward the ‘goldilocks zone’ for West Nile virus

Michael Keasling of Lakewood, Colorado, was an electrician who loved big trucks, fast cars, and Harley-Davidsons. He'd struggled with diabetes since he was a teenager, needing a kidney transplant from his sister to stay alive.

28 Mar 2022

Researcher wins three NIH grants to tackle mosquito-borne viruses

West Nile virus, Usutu virus, Zika virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus are all transmitted by mosquitoes and cause a significant threat to human health.

23 Mar 2022

ISU surveillance efforts uncover invasive mosquito species in three Iowa counties

Iowans might notice some new uninvited guests crashing their summer barbecues this year.

10 Feb 2022

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 can infect and replicate in human iPSC-derived neurons

In a study recently published on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers attempted to further increase the scope of previous studies in examining SARS-CoV-2 infection of human CNS resident cells.

22 Nov 2021

Chlorophyll catabolite pheophorbide A shows potential against SARS-CoV-2

A new study identifies a potent SARS-CoV-2 antiviral, Pheophorbide a (PheoA), which is a compound derived from the plant Marchantia polymorpha L.

27 Oct 2021

Taking lessons in molecular therapeutics from earthworms to combat COVID

Scientists were interested in further investigating the defense mechanism of earthworms in an effort to discover therapeutic solutions against SARS-CoV-2.

27 Oct 2021

Warming climate favors the transmission of West Nile Virus in Europe

Increases in temperatures as a result of climate change is favoring the transmission of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in parts of Europe, by creating more suitable conditions for the virus and its mosquito vectors to proliferate.

14 Oct 2021

Heidelberg researchers focus on developing drugs against flavi- and coronaviruses

New drugs are intended to help stop viral zoonoses - infections that jump from animals to humans. To study suitable inhibitors, Prof. Dr Christian Klein from the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology of Heidelberg University is receiving funding in the amount of 450,000 euros from the Volkswagen Foundation.

20 Aug 2021

Researcher receives $8.7 million to investigate the link between viral infections and memory disorders

More than half of the survivors of West Nile virus brain infections are left with memory disorders that make everyday tasks such as remembering the route from home to work challenging.

12 Aug 2021

The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

In an effort to further understand the role of NK cells in combatting COVID-19, a group of researchers explored NK cells in acute viral infections, citing flavivirus and influenza virus infections as examples.

17 Jun 2021

New genetic editing tools could stop the spread of mosquito diseases

Since the onset of the CRISPR genetic editing revolution, scientists have been working to leverage the technology in the development of gene drives that target pathogen-spreading mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes species, which spread malaria, dengue and other life-threatening diseases.

29 May 2021

Animal and insect invasions could shed light on COVID-19 transmission

Invasions by alien insect and animal species have much in common with outbreaks of infectious diseases and could tell us a great deal about how pandemics spread, according to a research paper published today.

19 May 2021

Study provides valuable insight for preventing global pandemics

Whether it's plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host's initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests.

17 May 2021

High-density microarray patch could help vaccinate for dengue in a single click

A dengue virus vaccine candidate has passed an important milestone, with promising results in animal model testing providing hope to the 390 million people infected every year.

13 May 2021

Natural products a rich source for novel antiviral compounds

In a recent review in the journal Viruses, researchers look at natural products that can be identified as potential alternative antiviral agents. The reviewers discussed the antiviral activities of several natural products towards DNA and RNA viruses with an analytical approach. The researchers detailed the cellular/viral targets of the active molecules and their impact on the infection and viral replication cycle.

10 May 2021