Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study suggests cirrhosis and liver disease nearly inevitable for people with hep C

Nearly 80 percent of chronic hepatitis C sufferers who have the disease for several decades will develop cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease later in life, according to a study published today in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

1 Sep 2005

West Nile virus hits Toronto - two deaths reported

Health officials in Canada have reported that there have been two deaths related to the West Nile Virus, the first for three years in Canada's largest city, Toronto.

31 Aug 2005

Designer molecules that combine metals such as copper with natural organic materials could treat diseases in the body

That's the finding of chemists at Ohio State University, who have successfully tested such molecules against portions of HIV and Hepatitis C virus RNA in the laboratory. They've also created molecules that act like ACE, or angiotensin-converting enzyme, inhibitors - drugs that are used to lower blood pressure.

30 Aug 2005

A far wider range of wildlife species could be at risk from bird flu

Dr Diana Bell, of UEA's School of Biological Sciences, says the discovery that avian flu was responsible for the death of three rare civet cats in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, raises important questions about the range of wildlife species which could now be at risk from this virus.

30 Aug 2005

Anthrax test receives FDA approval

A method for identifying Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has been cleared for diagnostic use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

29 Aug 2005

Indonesia to immunize 24 million children

To combat Indonesia's largest recorded polio epidemic, which now threatens a broad swath of countries across Asia, on 30 August, 24 million children will be immunized during the country's largest-ever mass immunization campaign.

29 Aug 2005

Discovery may significantly advance the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases

Current treatments frequently achieve only limited results with these types of diseases, which affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

29 Aug 2005

Immunity - another important function of the mitochondria

Researchers have discovered a surprise lurking inside mitochondria, the power plants that are present in every cell. It turns out that these powerhouses also contain a protein that triggers the immune system to attack viral invaders.

28 Aug 2005

Compound might defeat African sleeping

One of the most devastating diseases in sub-Saharan Africa almost disappeared in the late 1950s.

26 Aug 2005

First clinical trial of a biologic nanoparticle designed to give back to cancer patients the tumor-busting gene they have lost

The phase I clinical study will enroll 20 patients with advanced solid cancers (including most common tumor types), and is the culmination of more than a decade of work by a team of researchers led by Professor Esther H. Chang, Ph.D. at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

25 Aug 2005

Drug company donates bird flu vaccine to World Health Organization

A donation by Swiss drug maker Roche, of enough of its Tamiflu antiviral drug to treat 3 million people against birdflu, could slow the spread of the outbreak among humans, especially in countries too poor to afford their own stockpile.

24 Aug 2005

Susceptibility to Hepatitis A in patients with chronic liver disease due to Hepatitis C virus infection: missed opportunities for vaccination

A new study examining whether patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) were routinely vaccinated against Hepatitis A virus (HAV) found that vaccination rates were low, even though HAV vaccination is recommended for patients with chronic liver disease.

23 Aug 2005

Coronavirus HCoV-NL63 associated with croup

A forthcoming paper in the international, open-access journal PLoS Medicine makes the strongest association yet between a newly identified virus and the pediatric respiratory disease commonly known as croup.

23 Aug 2005

Study examines the incidence and risk factors associated with Hepatitis C infection in rural Egypt

The prevalence of antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Egypt is among the highest in the world. From the 1950s until 1982 hundreds of thousands were infected during mass campaigns to control schistosomiasis (a parasitic disease) using mass therapy with intravenous antimony compounds, but little is known about current risk factors and rates of transmission.

23 Aug 2005

Wild ducks may be key to development of flu vaccine

According to Dutch and Swedish researchers wild ducks carry more than a half-dozen different types of avian flu virus.

23 Aug 2005

Newly discovered virus linked to childhood respiratory infections

A team of Swedish researchers say they have identified a previously unknown virus that may cause many cases of serious respiratory infections in children.

23 Aug 2005

Gene therapy advance shows potential for developing improved treatment for hemophilia

A virus that typically infects insects could help with the development of gene therapy treatment for Hemophilia A, a condition in which even a bump on the knee can cause serious internal bleeding in people.

22 Aug 2005

Japanese encephalitis in Indian province - update

Health officials say nine more people have now died from Japanese encephalitis in India's Uttar Pradesh state, taking the death toll from the mosquito-borne disease to 99.

22 Aug 2005

Brits get ready for bird flu pandemic

Before the onset of winter and the annual flu outbreak, doctors around the UK will be preparing for a much more worrying influenza epidemic this season.

22 Aug 2005

First instance of avian flu (H5N1) occurring in wild migratory birds

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has positively identified the pathogenic form of avian flu--H5N1--in samples taken from birds last week in Mongolia by field veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). It is the first instance of this viral strain occurring in wild migratory birds with no apparent contact to domestic poultry or waterfowl.

22 Aug 2005

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study suggests cirrhosis and liver disease nearly inevitable for people with hep C

West Nile virus hits Toronto - two deaths reported

Designer molecules that combine metals such as copper with natural organic materials could treat diseases in the body

A far wider range of wildlife species could be at risk from bird flu

Anthrax test receives FDA approval

Indonesia to immunize 24 million children

Discovery may significantly advance the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases

Immunity - another important function of the mitochondria

Compound might defeat African sleeping

First clinical trial of a biologic nanoparticle designed to give back to cancer patients the tumor-busting gene they have lost

Drug company donates bird flu vaccine to World Health Organization

Susceptibility to Hepatitis A in patients with chronic liver disease due to Hepatitis C virus infection: missed opportunities for vaccination

Coronavirus HCoV-NL63 associated with croup

Study examines the incidence and risk factors associated with Hepatitis C infection in rural Egypt

Wild ducks may be key to development of flu vaccine

Newly discovered virus linked to childhood respiratory infections

Gene therapy advance shows potential for developing improved treatment for hemophilia

Japanese encephalitis in Indian province - update

Brits get ready for bird flu pandemic

First instance of avian flu (H5N1) occurring in wild migratory birds

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production