Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study reveals high prevalence of persistent COVID-19 infections in general population

A new study led by the University of Oxford has found that a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more.

21 Feb 2024

IκBζ protein holds potential for treating autoimmune conditions

Our immune system is remarkably powerful. It quickly assembles teams of cells to eliminate threats inside our bodies.

21 Feb 2024

Breakthrough gene therapy method utilizes bird retrotransposon for safe gene insertion

The recent approval of a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease demonstrates that gene editing tools can do a superb job knocking out genes to cure hereditary disease.

20 Feb 2024

Researchers develop novel nanomedicine loaded with genetic material to fight HIV

Society learned about the value of mRNA during the COVID-19 pandemic when we saw scientists and medical professionals harness its power to deliver a vaccine for the virus within a year.

20 Feb 2024

Study suggests high levels of vitamin B3 breakdown products are linked to higher risk of mortality, heart attacks, and stroke

Researchers utilized an untargeted metabolomics technique to look for new compounds and pathways that may contribute to residual cardiovascular disease risk.

19 Feb 2024

CDC studies show effectiveness of flu vaccines across all age groups

The prospect of the worrisome triple threat of COVID, RSV and flu was assuaged last year by the effectiveness of flu vaccines.

19 Feb 2024

Study reveals seasonal MERS-CoV peaks in Kenyan camels and potential human transmission

Researchers found biphasic peaks of MERS-CoV in dromedaries in Kenya, with evidence of serologic exposure among slaughterhouse workers, highlighting potential human transmission risks.

18 Feb 2024

Rabies in urban opossums signals health alert in São Paulo

A female White-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) found dead in 2021 in Bosque dos Jequitibás Park in the center of Campinas, one of the largest cities in São Paulo state, Brazil, died from rabies meningoencephalitis, according to a group of researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL), the regional reference laboratory, working with health professionals affiliated with public institutions in São Paulo city and Campinas.

16 Feb 2024

Virginia Tech receives grant for improving rural wastewater pathogen detection

Testing wastewater to assess the spread of the COVID-19 virus became common and well-publicized during the pandemic, but it has been focused mostly on urban areas.

16 Feb 2024

Study suggests patients with severe long COVID present with variable symptoms, do not cluster in relation to organs affected or immunological states

A new preprint reports significantly associated findings that may help predict severe long COVID and understand what causes it.

16 Feb 2024

Urgent call for increased measles vaccination in the EU/EEA

Measles cases are expected to continue increasing in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in the coming months due to sub-optimal vaccination coverage for measles-containing vaccines (MCV) in a number of EU/EEA countries, the high probability of importation from areas experiencing high circulation and the fact that the coming months represent the seasonal peak of the virus.

16 Feb 2024

COVID-19 impacts the brain through body inflammation, research finds

Scientists still are not sure how neurological symptoms arise in COVID-19. Is it because SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain? Or are these symptoms the result of inflammation in the rest of the body?

16 Feb 2024

Maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination shields infants for six months

Women who receive an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination or booster during pregnancy can provide their infants with strong protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infection for at least six months after birth, according to a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

15 Feb 2024

HBO's 'The Last of Us' fungal apocalypse, science fiction, not future reality

Researchers in "Emerging Infectious Diseases" debunk the scenario of a global fungal pandemic as depicted in HBO's 'The Last of Us,' citing slow fungal evolution and current pathologies as barriers to such an event.

15 Feb 2024

Chula researchers develop wireless hepatitis B test kit for rapid diagnosis

Chula researchers have developed a remarkable wireless hepatitis B virus test kit to screen for infection and collect data for an online database that's fast and complete in one step. Industrial production is targeted for use throughout the country.

15 Feb 2024

Women with HIV experience accelerated DNA aging, study shows

Women with HIV experience accelerated DNA aging, a phenomenon that can lead to poor physical function, according to a study led by Stephanie Shiau, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

15 Feb 2024