Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

British boy dies from measles

The death of a 13 year old boy in Britain from measles is the first fatality from the infection in 14 years and has ignited concern that the once common killer is back.

3 Apr 2006

Bird flu continues to sweep across the globe

An Egyptian health ministry official says the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that four Egyptians have caught bird flu, including two who died from the virus.

3 Apr 2006

Jordan's first case of bird flu, courtesy of Egypt

The Egyptian Government says a failure to comply with instructions is the probable cause of the recurrence of avian influenza among humans there.

3 Apr 2006

High prevalence of mumps in Iowa

The Department of Public Health in Iowa says 245 confirmed, probable or suspected cases of mumps have been reported there since mid-January.

3 Apr 2006

Sweetgum tree may help fight bird flu

The sweetgum tree grows widely throughout the country and is known for its mace-like green fruit, which are sometimes called "gumballs." Now, this spiny fruit may become an important source of a chemical needed to make a lifesaving drug against bird flu - a drug that is currently in short supply worldwide, researchers say.

3 Apr 2006

Gene key to infection-fighting immune cells identified

Every time the human body encounters a virus, bacteria or other infectious agent, immune cells called B-lymphocytes multiply in lymph nodes and then swing into action to fight off the intruders.

3 Apr 2006

HPV vaccines provide hope for major international programmes of primary prevention

Parents of young girls may soon be offered the opportunity to have their daughters immunised against a sexually transmitted virus that is the major cause of cervical cancer, the 4th International Conference on Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Medicine.

3 Apr 2006

Expecting enough bird flu vaccine for everyone is a big ask

According to researchers an experimental vaccine produced to offer protection against the H5N1 strain of bird flu presently causing havoc across the world, only appears to work at the very highest doses.

31 Mar 2006

GlaxoSmithKline announces start of clinical trials to test two pandemic vaccines against the H5N1

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the start of an international clinical trial program to test two pandemic vaccines against the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus in humans. This dual approach reflects the company's commitment to provide health authorities with concrete options to face the threat of a pandemic.

30 Mar 2006

Bird flu hits India again

Officials in India say seven new cases of bird flu have been reported in the western state of Maharashtra, the site of two earlier outbreaks this year and one in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh state.

29 Mar 2006

Custom made nanoparticles will transform cancer diagnosis and treatment

Researchers have developed "custom" nanoparticles that promise to provide a more targeted and effective way of delivering anticancer drugs than conventional medications or any of the earlier attempts to fight cancer with nanoparticles.

28 Mar 2006

Bird flu infected mink found in Sweden

According to Swedish authorities a mink has been found with a strain of the H5 bird flu virus.

28 Mar 2006

Horse anti-serum effectively protects H5N1 infected mice

Antibodies against the bird flu virus H5N1, derived from horses, prevent mice infected with H5N1 from dying from the virus.

28 Mar 2006

Study on fruit flies offers new approach to understand human response to viral infections

A research team led by UC Riverside scientists has shown that the common fruit fly can serve as an excellent model for studying the immunity animals are born with for fighting viral infections.

28 Mar 2006

Ocean Vesivirus found in human blood samples

A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.

28 Mar 2006

It's 2006 and two hundred children are crippled by polio in Somalia

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that since the re-emergence of the disease in July last year, 200 children in Somalia have been paralyzed with polio.

27 Mar 2006

Bird flu case # 5 in Egypt as virus sweeps around the world

Health officials in Egypt have confirmed that a 5th person is suspected to have bird flu.

26 Mar 2006

Bird flu coming round again - three cases in Cambodia cause for concern

The latest outbreak of bird flu in Cambodia which has seen the hospitalisation of three more suspected cases is causing concern.

26 Mar 2006

China reports 11th death from bird flu as virus sweeps across the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) and China's Health Ministry have confirmed that a 29-year-old Shanghai woman has died of bird flu.

26 Mar 2006

Immune system protein LL-37 critical in controlling replication of vaccinia virus

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have identified a defect in the immune response of people with the skin condition atopic dermatitis that puts them at risk of developing serious complications following smallpox vaccination.

23 Mar 2006