Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Children vaccinated against chickenpox who then contract chickenpox are half as contagious as those who have not been vaccinated

A study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that children and young adults who have had the chickenpox vaccine and gone on to contract chickenpox are half as contagious as those who have not been vaccinated.

11 Aug 2004

Serious new side effects of performance enhancing drugs

As the countdown continues to the Athens Olympics, a new Australian study by a team of Southern Cross University (SCU) scientists has revealed serious new side effects of performance enhancing drugs.

11 Aug 2004

Dynamics between disposable and reusable segments affect expansion of disposable drapes and gowns markets

The market for disposable surgical drapes and gowns in Europe has seen steady growth in the recent past owing to the high standards of infection control enforced by the new European Union Medical Device Directive (MDD) and EU regulations.

11 Aug 2004

Death from locally acquired West Nile Virus within Los Angeles County

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of WNV antibodies in a 91-year-old San Fernando Valley resident who passed away late last week. This is the third reported death for WNV in California and the first for Los Angeles County.

11 Aug 2004

$5 million to assist Pacific island nations develop and implement country-specific HIV/AIDS prevention

Australia will provide $5 million for a Pacific HIV/AIDS Grant Scheme to assist Pacific island nations develop and implement country-specific HIV/AIDS prevention and information campaigns.

11 Aug 2004

Changes to the UK's childhood vaccination programme

From the end of September these vaccines will be given in the routine vaccination schedule in a combined vaccine along with Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Hib.

9 Aug 2004

Liver transplantation outcomes have significantly improved for patients with hepatitis B

Since the early 1990s, therapeutic options for patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B have evolved to include HBV immune globulin (HBIG) and lamivudine.

9 Aug 2004

Reminder to avoid handling bats for risk of rabies

In the wake of an increase in calls reporting human and pet contacts with bats, the Washington Department of Health has reminded people that avoiding bats can protect them from rabies. Bats are not aggressive animals and they generally do not intentionally attack humans.

9 Aug 2004

Possible role for BK virus in development of prostate cancer

Now, new research by scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School suggests the intriguing possibility that this common virus also may play a role in prostate cancer – the second-leading cause of deaths from cancer in American men.

9 Aug 2004

Gravity model applicable to disease spread

Tracking the spread of new or re-emergent diseases such as SARS or smallpox is essential in controlling disease epidemics, but horse-and-buggy concepts of how diseases spread have been supplanted by 21st-century realities.

9 Aug 2004

Significant advance in the understanding of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)

Researchers have made a significant advance in the understanding of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by identifying new genetic factors associated with clearing the virus spontaneously without the necessity for additional treatment.

9 Aug 2004

Correlation between HCV viral load and severity of liver disease

The significance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) serum titers (HCV viral load) has been examined in several clinical situations. There is much evidence that patients with a lower viral load have better response rates to anti-viral therapy compared to those with higher levels.

9 Aug 2004

Bush administration is depriving millions access to life-saving generic drugs

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, has commended the World Health Organization (WHO) for their leadership and sincere interest in ensuring the safety of generic HIV/AIDS drugs in the developing world.

6 Aug 2004

Ontario's first probable human case of West Nile virus

Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Allen Heimann, Medical Officer of Health for Windsor-Essex County confirmed Ontario's first probable human case of West Nile virus in the Windsor-Essex area.

6 Aug 2004

Australian university signs multi-million dollar anti-cancer research deal

Australia's University of Newcastle Research Associates (TUNRA) Ltd has signed a licensing agreement worth approximately $10 million with the biotechnology company Psiron Ltd to develop anti-cancer treatments.

5 Aug 2004

Self-recovery from Hep C infection linked to genes that suppress action of killer immune cells

In a study to be published in Science online Aug. 6, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that genes involved in suppressing the body's defensive "killer" immune cells are a potential key factor in spontaneous recovery from hepatitis C.

5 Aug 2004

New gene-silencing technique

A new gene-silencing technique that takes place in the nucleus of human cells, has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

5 Aug 2004

Potential of genomics in disease research yet to be realized

Over the past decade genomics has revolutionized our understanding of how microorganisms cause disease. However, genomic studies need to be extended to a more diverse array of microorganisms and research tools improved to gain additional insights into pathogenesis, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology.

5 Aug 2004

Approval of an injectable filler to correct facial fat loss in people with HIV/AIDS

The Food and Drug Administration has approved an injectable filler to correct facial fat loss in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

5 Aug 2004

Protein loss plays role in acute T-cell leukemia

The loss of a key protein (Smad3) in a pathway that helps prevent tumors from forming is specific to one form of childhood leukemia, but not to other pediatric and adult forms of leukemia, according to a new study published in the August 5, 2004, New England Journal of Medicine.

5 Aug 2004