Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Houston Chronicle examines Baylor pediatric HIV/AIDS program in Burkina Faso

The Houston Chronicle on Saturday examined the Baylor College of Medicine's International Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

10 Sep 2008

Refined Pap smear test more accurate

Italian researchers have found that a new method of testing for cervical cancer is more accurate than a pap smear and also picks up more dangerous lesions.

10 Sep 2008

Discovery of gene that could help develop HIV/AIDS vaccine

In an article published in the journal Science on Thursday, researchers announced that they have discovered a gene, called Apobec3, that might help in the development of an HIV/AIDS vaccine, Reuters Health reports.

9 Sep 2008

Study identifies proteins that help provide immunity against HIV among commercial sex workers in Kenya

In a study published Wednesday in the Journal of Proteome Research, researchers from the University of Manitoba, along with participants from Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory and the University of Nairobi, indentified more than 15 proteins in a group of Kenyan commercial sex workers thought to have a natural immunity to HIV, the Winnipeg Free Press reports (Tremain, Winnipeg Free Press, 9/4).

9 Sep 2008

Vaginal rings provide new HIV protection for women

Vaginal rings, similar to those used for contraception and hormone replacement therapy, could protect women from sexually-transmitted HIV, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

8 Sep 2008

Universal flu vaccine the 'Holy Grail' of flu shots

Scientists say a universal flu vaccine still in the pipeline could see an end to the annual flu shot.

8 Sep 2008

Land clearing and deforestation mean more mosquito-borne diseases

Australian researchers are blaming land clearing and deforestation for the potential increase in mosquito-borne diseases.

8 Sep 2008

Binge drinking women often engage in risky sex

According to new research from the U.S., women who binge drink are more likely to indulge in unsafe sex.

8 Sep 2008

Seattle department finds OraSure HIV test to be less accurate than label claims

A report by Public Health -- Seattle and King County in Washington state has found that testing with OraSure Technologies' OraQuick test provides less accurate results than the label claims, Bloomberg reports.

7 Sep 2008

Press Trust of India examines HIV/AIDS among Indian populations living in Mauritius

The Press Trust of India on Tuesday examined HIV/AIDS among Indian populations on the island of Mauritius.

5 Sep 2008

FDA approves DNA test to measure hepatitis B viral load

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first nucleic acid test for hepatitis B virus (HBV) that measures the amount of viral DNA (viral load) in a patient's blood. Assessing a patient's viral load provides health care professionals with a highly sensitive method for gauging the progress of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HBV infections.

5 Sep 2008

Link found between Apobec3 gene and neutralizing antibody response to retrovirus

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that strengthens the link between a host-cell gene called Apobec3 and the production of neutralizing antibodies to retroviruses. Published in the Sept. 5 issue of Science, the finding adds a new dimension to the set of possible explanations for why most people who are infected with HIV do not make neutralizing antibodies that effectively fight the virus.

4 Sep 2008

New research settles measles vaccine/autism controversy

New research from the United States will hopefully settle once and for all the controversial debate about a link between the measles vaccine and autism.

4 Sep 2008

Domestic HIV/AIDS spending 'essentially flat,' increased 'efforts to control' HIV from 'all levels of Government' needed, editorial says

It has been "difficult over the years to get a good statistical handle on the size of the AIDS problem in this country," a New York Times editorial says, adding, "But by the latest and most sophisticated measurements, the disease continues to frustrate federal and local efforts to rein it in."

4 Sep 2008

CDC MMR/autism study - wrong questions asked, wrong children studied, wrong conclusions NAA says

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released today claims there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The National Autism Association (NAA) says this study does nothing to dispel the growing public concern over a vaccine-autism connection and raises several questions concerning design and methodology.

4 Sep 2008

CDC MMR/autism study - wrong questions asked, wrong children studied, wrong conclusions NAA says

4 Sep 2008

Doctors in Northern Ireland welcome HPV vaccination programme

Doctors in Northern Ireland have welcomed the Chief Medical Officer's announcement today, Wednesday 3 September 2008, to offer vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to all 12-13 year old girls in Northern Ireland. HPV is the virus which can lead to the development of cancer, in particular cervical cancer.

3 Sep 2008

Link between nationality and cervical cancer

Gynaecological screening tests for cervical cancer have been available to all women in Sweden for almost four decades. Despite this, many immigrant women have a higher risk of developing the disease than Swedish-born women, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet.

3 Sep 2008

Ondansetron helps reduce vomiting, hospital admissions in children with gastroenteritis

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have demonstrated that a drug called ondansetron helps reduce vomiting, the need for intravenous fluids and hospital admissions in children with acute gastroenteritis.

3 Sep 2008

$HIV-positive people might be at increased risk of bone fractures, study finds$

HIV-positive people might be at increased risk of bone fractures, study finds

As HIV-positive people live longer primarily because of antiretroviral treatment, they might face an increased risk of bone fractures, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reported last week, Xinhua/Individual.com reports.

2 Sep 2008