Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Genetic influence on HIV/AIDS progression

Viral load - the amount of virus in the blood of an HIV-infected person - has long been viewed as the chief indicator of how quickly someone infected with HIV infection progresses to AIDS.

22 Oct 2007

Critical need for earlier diagnosis and referral of HIV-infected children in Africa

Care provided by nurses and other clinicians in primary health care settings in sub-Saharan Africa can result in good outcomes for children with HIV infection.

22 Oct 2007

HIV is spread most by people with medium levels of HIV in blood

People with medium levels of HIV in their blood are likely to contribute most to the spread of the virus, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

22 Oct 2007

High-risk individuals less likely to follow through on HIV testing plans

One-fourth of individuals at high risk for contracting HIV report planning to be tested for the virus in the next year, but fewer appear to follow through on that intention than individuals who are at lower risk, according to a report in the October 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

22 Oct 2007

Good outcomes possible for HIV-infected children in Africa enrolled in pediatric treatment programs

Care provided by nurses and other clinicians in primary health care settings in sub-Saharan Africa can result in good outcomes for children with HIV infection.

22 Oct 2007

Pathogen Simulation provides a new approach to the study of Epstein-Barr virus

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in collaboration with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have created a computer program called Pathogen Simulation (PathSim) to study the progression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in humans.

22 Oct 2007

Human cytomegalovirus may help doctors treat glioblastoma multiforme

A common human virus may prove useful in attacking the deadliest form of brain tumors, according to a study by researchers at Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center.

22 Oct 2007

Free medications ensure anti-HIV drugs are taken in Africa

HIV-infected patients in the African country of Tanzania were more likely to stop taking their medications and to fail treatment if they had to pay for the drugs themselves.

22 Oct 2007

Strong association between tattoos and hepatitis C virus infection

The connection between tattoos and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has long been suspected but never completely substantiated.

22 Oct 2007

Scientists find predisposition to bronchiolitis in some babies

Scientists have found that a large proportion of infants who suffer from bronchiolitis have an inherent pre-disposition to the disease.

22 Oct 2007

New virus drug will have to shoot at moving targets

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22 Oct 2007

West Nile virus' spread through nerve cells linked to serious complication

Scientists believe they have found an explanation for a puzzling and serious complication of West Nile virus infection.

19 Oct 2007

Study supports the theory of the seasonal flu

Low temperatures and relative humidities have been linked to the rapid spread of influenza in a new study by researchers, led by Dr. Peter Palese, from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

19 Oct 2007

T-cell exhaustion

A new study of immune cells battling a chronic viral infection shows that the cells, called T cells, become exhausted by the fight in specific ways, undergoing profound changes that make them progressively less effective over time.

19 Oct 2007

Discovery on human individuality and maternal and paternal DNA

Have you ever wondered why you inherited your mother's smile but not your father's height?

18 Oct 2007

New model helps explain rules governing the transmission of microbes

Many of the most successful microbes are those that inhabit but do not kill their host. Cheaters lose. Tuberculosis settles into the lungs. Helicobacter pylori, the microbe causing ulcers, burrows into the stomach where it thrives on acids. And Salmonella typhi takes up residence in the gallbladder. All of these organisms can persist in our bodies for decades. What explains their success?

18 Oct 2007

New mechanism discovered that mammalian cells employ to fight infections of the Hepatitis C virus

A team of researchers led by biologists at the University of California, San Diego has discovered a completely new mechanism that mammalian cells employ to fight infections of the Hepatitis C virus, which affects approximately 2.7 million Americans and 170 million people worldwide.

18 Oct 2007

Interventions for the interruption or reduction of the spread of respiratory viruses

If SARS makes a comeback or a serious epidemic of flu becomes a reality, children could become an important focus in fighting back against these deadly viruses, according to a new review of recent studies.

17 Oct 2007

Scientists discover how HIV evolves

University of Florida scientists have discovered how HIV evolves over the course of a person's lifetime into a more deadly form that heralds the onset of full-blown AIDS.

17 Oct 2007

Breakbone fever a growing public health threat

Dengue fever, known as “breakbone fever” because of the excruciating back and joint pain that accompanies this infectious disease, is a growing public health threat for people living in tropical countries, as well as travelers to destinations such as Thailand, Brazil and Puerto Rico, according to research being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Nov. 4-7.

17 Oct 2007