Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Rapid HIV testing in the emergency department boosts diagnoses, screening

One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital was found to be infected with HIV using a rapid blood sample screening test.

26 Oct 2008

Vaccinating new mothers and other family members against influenza offers important flu protection to newborns

Vaccinating new mothers and other family members against influenza before their newborns leave the hospital creates a "cocooning effect" that may shelter unprotected children from the flu, a virus that can be life-threatening to infants, according to researchers at Duke Children's Hospital.

26 Oct 2008

Human rhinovirus found to manipulate genes

Sneezing, runny nose and chills? You might blame the human rhinovirus (HRV), which causes 30 to 50 percent of common colds. But in reality, it's not the virus itself but HRV's ability to manipulate your genes that is the true cause of some of the most annoying cold symptoms.

26 Oct 2008

High dose flu vaccine boosts immune response in elderly

Giving people age 65 and older a dose four times larger than the standard flu vaccine boosts the amount of antibodies in their blood to levels considered protective against the flu, more so than the standard flu vaccine does. The findings from a study of nearly 4,000 people were presented Oct. 26 at a national meeting on infectious diseases.

26 Oct 2008

Ministers urged to rethink rather than repackage $2 billion global response to infectious diseases

As the first globally co-ordinated plan for the planet's gravest health threats is hatched by government ministers from around the world this weekend, a new report sets out a 10-point plan for this new, globalised approach to infectious diseases such as avian flu.

23 Oct 2008

CytoDyn files new IND for Cytolin

CytoDyn, Inc. has filed a new IND for a study to reconfirm dose ranging and to "prove the principle" with a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study of Cytolin, the Company's first-in-class drug for treating HIV/AIDS. This comes 13 years after the first IND was issued for the drug.

22 Oct 2008

Researchers identify novel type of antibody that potently inhibits HIV infection

A small antibody fragment that is highly effective in neutralizing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by preventing the virus from entering cells has been identified by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

21 Oct 2008

Bird flu appears again in Hong Kong

Bird flu is in the news again following the revelation that a dead crow found recently at a local community in Hong Kong was confirmed to be H5N1 positive.

21 Oct 2008

Getting the flu early may protect against worse one later

New evidence about the worldwide influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 indicates that getting the flu early protected many people against a second deadlier wave, an article co-authored by an NIH epidemiologist concludes.

20 Oct 2008

Universal vaccine could protect people and pets from deadly flu pandemics

A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds.

20 Oct 2008

Hand, foot and mouth disease in China kills 3 children and sickens over 100 others

In the latest health scare in China three children have died from hand, foot and mouth disease and another 110 are sick - this is China's second outbreak of the virus this year in young children.

20 Oct 2008

Mumps making a comeback in Australia

Experts are concerned that mumps, once a thing of the past, may be making a comeback in Australia and they are blaming it on the absence of proper vaccinations during childhood.

20 Oct 2008

Polio could be wiped out in Nigeria thanks to improved vaccine

A recently introduced polio vaccine is four times more effective at protecting children than previous vaccines and has the potential to eradicate type 1 polio in Nigeria if it reaches enough children, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

19 Oct 2008

FDA approves new labeling for psoriasis drug Raptiva

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced labeling changes, including a Boxed Warning, to highlight the risks of life-threatening infections, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), with the use of Raptiva (efalizumab). The labeling changes are based on the FDA's post-market surveillance.

19 Oct 2008

New maturation inhibitor drugs may help solve HIV treatment conundrum

Since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, significant advances have been made in developing an effective arsenal of drugs to manage the disease and extend patients' lives.

13 Oct 2008

HIV drug resistance spreading in China, researcher says

As HIV spreads beyond high-risk groups into China's general population, drug-resistant strains of the virus also are appearing in parts of the country, Chen Zhiwei of the AIDS Institute in Hong Kong said recently, Reuters reports.

13 Oct 2008

Empowering people living with HIV/AIDS can address poverty in Nigeria, advocate says

Alhaja Roli Daniju, executive director of the nongovernmental organization Ajegunle Community Project, recently called on Nigerian government officials and other stakeholders to help reduce poverty in the country by empowering people living with HIV/AIDS, This Day/AllAfrica.com reports.

13 Oct 2008

Panel discusses how Asian migrant women are vulnerable to HIV

Although Asian migrant women working in Arab countries generate significant economic benefits for both their home and host countries, many of them are at risk of HIV because of the unsafe conditions under which they migrate and live, according to a panel of experts organized by the United Nations Development Programme Regional Center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, The Hindu reports.

13 Oct 2008

Body's built-in weapon against HIV explained

Humans have a built-in weapon against HIV, but until recently no one knew how to unlock its potential.

12 Oct 2008

Georgia Tech models future pandemic flu, improves food, quarantine strategies

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more than 40 million people worldwide and affected persons of all age groups. While it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed models to help organizations like the American Red Cross and Georgia Department of Education prepare emergency response plans.

12 Oct 2008