Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

number of cases of most vaccine-preventable diseases is at an all-time low

A comparison of illness and death rates for 13 vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S., before and after use of the vaccine, indicates there have been significant decreases in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths for each of the diseases examined, according to a study in the November 14 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Nov 2007

Bird flu in Britain prompts culling of Christmas poultry

An outbreak of bird flu on a farm in England has prompted the culling of 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese.

14 Nov 2007

Hidden epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S.

Health experts in the United States say the country has achieved an all-time record for a sexually transmitted disease.

14 Nov 2007

Volunteers in AIDS vaccine trial may be at greater risk of infection

Following the aborting of two international trials of an experimental AIDS vaccine, thousands of volunteers have been told the vaccine may have actually raised their risk of infection.

14 Nov 2007

Two proteins may be survival markers in some breast cancers

New research suggests that the presence or absence of two proteins may be important markers for long-term survival in some breast-cancer patients.

13 Nov 2007

Deadly bird flu hits Britain

Officials in Britain have confirmed that the bird flu strain detected in turkeys on a farm in Norfolk is the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus

13 Nov 2007

Zinc transporters regulate pancreatic cancer

Zinc, an important trace element for healthy growth and development, can be related to pancreatic cancer. Too much ZIP4, a molecule that enables the transport of zinc into cells, promotes the growth and spread of pancreatic tumors cells, said a group of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Florida in Gainesville, in a report which appears online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

13 Nov 2007

New genetic lineage of Ebola virus discovered in great apes

The Zaire species of Ebolavirus (ZEBOV) remains the most virulent of the various known species. It alone is responsible for 88% of human deaths from haemorrhagic fever recorded since Ebola's discovery in 1976.

13 Nov 2007

Most UK citizens susceptible to hep B infection

The failure of the UK to introduce universal hepatitis B immunisation means that most UK citizens are susceptible to infection, warns an infectious diseases expert in this week's BMJ.

13 Nov 2007

Omega-3 rich oils lower risk of memory problems, omega-6 rich oils may increase risk

A diet rich in fish, omega-3 oils, fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, whereas consuming omega-6 rich oils could increase chances of developing memory problems, according to a study published in the November 13, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Nov 2007

H5 avian influenza found on Suffolk poultry farm

The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed avian influenza in turkeys on premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain.

13 Nov 2007

Chicken pox vaccination should be introduced for children in the UK

The only realistic way of preventing deaths and severe complications arising from chickenpox is to routinely vaccinate children against the disease, concludes research published ahead of print in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

13 Nov 2007

Antivirals reduce deaths from flu in hospitalized patients

Adults with influenza infections serious enough to require hospitalization are much less likely to die from the disease if they are given antiviral medications, according to a new study published in the December 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

13 Nov 2007

Seattle Post-Intelligencer examines reactions of people who participated in Merck's canceled HIV vaccine

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Friday examined the reaction of volunteers in the Seattle arm of Merck's recently halted HIV vaccine trial. According to the Post-Intelligencer, participants who were interviewed on the condition of anonymity have voiced "decidedly mixed feelings" about participating in the trial because of safety concerns (Paulson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/9).

12 Nov 2007

Dengue fever vaccine looks very promising

The vaccine Tetravalent is manufactured by drug company Sanofi who say it will be ready to be submitted for approval by the year 2012.

7 Nov 2007

Researchers neutralise the HIV virus

With the latest advances in treatment, doctors have discovered that they can successfully neutralise the HIV virus.

6 Nov 2007

Remote sensing technology used to predict future pandemics

With the help of 14 satellites currently in orbit and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Applied Sciences Program, scientists have been able to observe the Earth's environment to help predict and prevent infectious disease outbreaks around the world.

6 Nov 2007

Hepatitis C treatment reduces the virus but serious liver problems may progress

Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who did not respond to previous standard therapy experienced significant decreases in their liver enzymes, viral levels, and liver inflammation following treatment with long-term pegylated interferon.

6 Nov 2007

Novel approaches to hypertension control

A hypertension vaccine could be an important alternative to conventional drug therapy because of patients' inconsistent drug intake - if further research supports results from a small study testing the safety and tolerability of a vaccine.

6 Nov 2007