West Nile Virus News and Research

Latest West Nile Virus News and Research

Researcher receives $8.7 million to investigate the link between viral infections and memory disorders

More than half of the survivors of West Nile virus brain infections are left with memory disorders that make everyday tasks such as remembering the route from home to work challenging.

12 Aug 2021

The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

In an effort to further understand the role of NK cells in combatting COVID-19, a group of researchers explored NK cells in acute viral infections, citing flavivirus and influenza virus infections as examples.

17 Jun 2021

New genetic editing tools could stop the spread of mosquito diseases

Since the onset of the CRISPR genetic editing revolution, scientists have been working to leverage the technology in the development of gene drives that target pathogen-spreading mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes species, which spread malaria, dengue and other life-threatening diseases.

29 May 2021

Animal and insect invasions could shed light on COVID-19 transmission

Invasions by alien insect and animal species have much in common with outbreaks of infectious diseases and could tell us a great deal about how pandemics spread, according to a research paper published today.

19 May 2021

Study provides valuable insight for preventing global pandemics

Whether it's plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host's initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests.

17 May 2021

High-density microarray patch could help vaccinate for dengue in a single click

A dengue virus vaccine candidate has passed an important milestone, with promising results in animal model testing providing hope to the 390 million people infected every year.

13 May 2021

Natural products a rich source for novel antiviral compounds

In a recent review in the journal Viruses, researchers look at natural products that can be identified as potential alternative antiviral agents. The reviewers discussed the antiviral activities of several natural products towards DNA and RNA viruses with an analytical approach. The researchers detailed the cellular/viral targets of the active molecules and their impact on the infection and viral replication cycle.

10 May 2021

Blight leads to increase in disease-carrying mosquitoes

Louisiana State University researchers recently published findings that blight leads to an increased abundance of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

15 Mar 2021

Risk models for West Nile Fever may predict areas of future outbreaks a year in advance

Knowing the environmental and human-related variables that characterize the favorable areas for the incidence of the West Nile virus, a flavivirus that is transmitted from birds to humans by mosquitoes, is essential to identify those places in Europe at high risk of experiencing outbreaks, even before these are registered, thus enabling preventive measures to be taken.

24 Feb 2021

Neanderthal gene can confer protection against severe COVID-19, finds study

A new study has detailed how some of the genes in the human genome inherited from Neanderthals appear to confer a protective effect against severe COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

Evolution of the spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 for human adaptation

Researchers have found a 96% similarity in nucleotide sequence between bat coronavirus (RaTG13), isolated from Rhinolophus affinis bats in China in 2013, and SARS-CoV-2 and ~97% amino acid similarity with the Spike (S) protein. This S protein performs two essential roles, i.e., mediates receptor-binding and membrane fusion. Hence, spike protein is regarded as a key coronavirus determinant of host tropism.

21 Feb 2021

Predicting future mamalian hosts of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers at the Beijing Computational Science Research Center and Peking University analyzed sequences of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) proteins from 16 mammals and predicted the structures of ACE2- receptor-binding domain (RBD) complexes.

4 Feb 2021

No inflammation of cerebrospinal fluid in COVID-19 patients with neurological features, study finds

Many patients with COVID-19 have shown neurological complications, leading to scientific interest in the role played by its causative pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, in brain inflammation. A new study has described the absence of neuroinflammation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

14 Jan 2021

West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes are abundant in lower-income areas of Baltimore

In a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) found higher rates of West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes in lower-income neighborhoods in urban areas of Baltimore, Maryland.

18 Dec 2020

Higher risk of West Nile virus infection in low-income urban neighborhoods in Baltimore

In Baltimore, Maryland, people living in low-income urban neighborhoods are more at risk of contracting West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease, than people living in more affluent neighborhoods. So reports a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

14 Dec 2020

Virginia Tech researchers awarded NIH grant to develop Zika virus vaccine

Flaviviruses -- a group of viruses transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes -- infect an estimated 400 million people annually with diseases like yellow fever, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, and, most recently, Zika virus.

9 Dec 2020

Invasive alien species threaten biological diversity, shows study

The raccoon, raccoon dog, mink, and golden jackal are not native to Germany or Europe but are increasingly spreading in these non-native regions.

8 Dec 2020

Lung biomarkers may predict severe COVID-19

Two University of New Mexico researchers postulate certain specific biomarkers' relevance in predicting the potential for progression to severe COVID-19 in a paper published on the preprint server bioRxiv*

27 Oct 2020

Parkinson's disease diagnosed after SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, new and unusual chronic sequelae of the disease are cropping up in many medical practices. Now, a new case paper published in The Lancet in September 2020 describes a case of new-onset Parkinson's disease following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

22 Sep 2020

Climate change could shift the spread of West Nile virus

West Nile virus spreads most efficiently in the US at temperatures between 24-25 degrees Celsius (75.2-77 degrees Fahrenheit), a new study published today in eLife shows.

15 Sep 2020