Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Five important things to know about polio

Public Health authorities have warned health care workers to be on the alert for polio, yet most physicians will not be familiar with presentation of this highly infectious, life-threatening disease.

15 Nov 2022

What is the association between diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 infections?

Researchers explored whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can expedite or trigger the development of diabetes mellitus (DM).

15 Nov 2022

Hemagglutinin stem immunogens may hold the key for broad protection against influenza A viruses

Researchers proposed that vaccines targeting the immunosubdominant yet conserved hemagglutinin (HA) stem could trigger broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against influenza A viruses.

15 Nov 2022

Study points to a pathogenic role for compromised anti-SARS-CoV-2 responses in cerebrospinal fluid

Researchers used a high throughput systems serology method to compare serum and CSF samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with and without long COVID symptoms to determine changes in the SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune responses.

15 Nov 2022

The origin of COVID-19: wildlife trade rather than laboratory leak?

A recent opinion piece published in PNAS discussed the sequence of events concerning the COVID-19 pandemic to provide evidence against the alleged leak of SARS-CoV-2 and the Ebola virus from viral research laboratories in Wuhan, China, and West Africa, respectively.

15 Nov 2022

Study reveals the heavy burden of RSV among healthy infants

A new study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal aimed to determine hospitalized and medically-attended RSV-associated respiratory infections in healthy infants across Europe.

14 Nov 2022

Moderna's bivalent boosters trigger strong antibody response against latest subvariants

Moderna reports the efficacy of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

14 Nov 2022

A novel mRNA-based vaccine candidate against the rabies virus

Scientists have developed a novel mRNA-based vaccine candidate against the rabies virus. The vaccine induces a strong antibody response and exhibits high protective efficacy against lethal rabies infection in mice and dogs. A full report about the vaccine has been published in the Virology Journal.

14 Nov 2022

Researchers provide new insights into the vexing process that makes HIV stealthy

An immune response that likely evolved to help fight infections appears to be the mechanism that drives human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into a latent state, lurking in cells only to erupt anew, researchers at Duke Health report.

14 Nov 2022

Novel drug could help to fight both COVID-19 and cancer

While vaccination can provide life-saving protection against COVID-19, scientists are still searching for ways to treat severe infections, including in people who cannot get vaccinated or in the event that dangerous new strains of the virus arise that could bypass vaccine protection.

14 Nov 2022

Older adults suffer from persistent cognitive impairment after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection

In addition to the respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms that accompany COVID-19, many people with the virus experience short- and/or long-term neuropsychiatric symptoms, including loss of smell and taste, and cognitive and attention deficits, known as "brain fog."

14 Nov 2022

Exploring antiviral drug combinations for SARS-CoV-2 suppression

Researchers assessed the impact of drug combinations on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) suppression.

14 Nov 2022

Blood samples from healthy individuals have pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgGs and IVIg may be an effective therapy for severe COVID-19

A new paper introduces evidence of effective alleviation of disease severity using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).

14 Nov 2022

Study suggests the rapid expansion of naïve T cells can provide a fast and effective immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and other viral infections

Researchers investigated the early T cell responses during SARS-CoV-2 infections to understand the mechanisms of rapid clonal expansion that characterize the T cell responses to acute infections and vaccinations.

14 Nov 2022

Structure-directed mutagenesis produces thermostable SARS-CoV-2 spike protein trimers with potential vaccine booster applications

Researchers investigated the change in the stability, antigenicity, and protein expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein trimer using structure-directed mutagenesis to alter a cavity in the core of the spike protein.

14 Nov 2022