Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

CRISPR could be used for faster monkeypox testing

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral disease that is spread through physical contact between people.

12 Feb 2024

Drug repurposing study finds lonafarnib effective against RSV

A study in Nature Communications identifies lonafarnib from the ReFRAME drug-repurposing library as a potent inhibitor of the RSV fusion protein, showing promise in reducing RSV infection in vitro and in vivo.

11 Feb 2024

New study finds 4’-fluorouridine effective against avian influenza in vitro and in vivo

A PLOS Pathogens study reveals 4’-fluorouridine effectively combats avian influenza in vitro and in animal models, showing promise as a treatment that overcomes resistance and reduces disease severity without significant adverse effects.

11 Feb 2024

Understanding the virological properties of SARS-CoV-2 variant JN.1

Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a worldwide threat.

9 Feb 2024

MHRA authorizes COVID-19 vaccines: Comirnaty and Nuvaxovid gain approvals

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a change to the license of the Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 30 micrograms/dose (single-dose vials) after it was found to meet the UK regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

9 Feb 2024

Do we simply not care about old people?

The covid-19 pandemic would be a wake-up call for America, advocates for the elderly predicted: incontrovertible proof that the nation wasn't doing enough to care for vulnerable older adults.

9 Feb 2024

Vaccines safe for pregnant women with HIV but show reduced immune response

A meta-analysis in eClinicalMedicine finds vaccines are safe for pregnant women living with HIV, showing reduced immunogenicity compared to those without HIV but no increase in adverse events, highlighting the need for their inclusion in vaccine trials.

9 Feb 2024

mRNA COVID vaccines in pregnancy linked to lower risk of neonatal issues, study shows

A JAMA Network study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in pregnant women not only safe but also associated with reduced risks of neonatal cerebral ischemia, intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality, supporting vaccination during pregnancy.

9 Feb 2024

New cervical cancer detection method promises to reduce unnecessary screenings

The BMC Medicine study introduces the CerMe detection method, using PCDHGB7 hypermethylation to effectively triage high-risk HPV-positive women, potentially reducing unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

8 Feb 2024

COVID-19 may increase risk of pregnancy complications through placental DNA changes

DNA changes consistent with life-threatening pregnancy complications have been found in the placentas of pregnant women infected by COVID-19, according to University of Queensland researchers.

8 Feb 2024

Mitochondrial misfire sparks inflammation

Cells in the human body contain power-generating mitochondria, each with their own mtDNA - a unique set of genetic instructions entirely separate from the cell's nuclear DNA that mitochondria use to create life-giving energy.

8 Feb 2024

Experimental mRNA vaccine against CMV elicits promising immune responses

An experimental mRNA vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that can infect babies during pregnancy, elicited some of the most promising immune responses to date of any CMV vaccine candidate, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

7 Feb 2024

Researchers identify a new approach to controlling bacterial infections

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections.

7 Feb 2024

Prior Zika infection ups risk of severe dengue, study finds

A study led by Brazilian researchers shows that people who have had zika run a higher risk of subsequently having severe dengue and being hospitalized.

7 Feb 2024

HPV infection quadruples risk of death from heart disease in women

Women have a four times higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease if they have an infection with a high-risk strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday).

6 Feb 2024

Promising influenza drug candidate shows activity against resistant variants

Influenza A viruses with induced resistance to a new candidate antiviral drug were found to be impaired in cell culture and weakened in animals, according to a study by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University.

6 Feb 2024