Virology News

December 27, 2024

Top Headlines

Virus That Threatened Humanity Opens the Future

Dec. 25, 2024 — Scientists have developed an innovative therapeutic platform by mimicking the intricate structures of viruses using artificial intelligence ...

'Unbreakable' Lassa Vaccine Shows Promising Results

Dec. 18, 2024 — A live-attenuated vaccine under development is safe and 100% effective against Lassa virus in preclinical ...

Fly Vs. Wasp: Stealing a Defense Move Helps Thwart a Predator

Dec. 25, 2024 — Many flies are plagued by parasitic wasps, which lay their eggs in fly larvae, turning them into surrogate wombs for wasp larvae. One common fly has successfully fought off its wasp predator by stealing a gene from bacteria that originated in ...

Researchers Discover Replication Hubs for Human Norovirus

Dec. 20, 2024 — Combining bioinformatics and experimetal approaches, researchers have discovered replication hubs for human norovirus, the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis accounting for an estimated 685 million cases and approximately 212,000 deaths globally ...

Latest Headlines

updated 6:19pm EST

Scientists Design Workaround That Improves Response to Flu Vaccine

Dec. 19, 2024 — Stitching together four molecules found in the standard flu vaccine ensures an immune response to all of them, scientists have ...

Study Shows Role of Cells' Own RNA in Antiviral Defense

Dec. 19, 2024 — A new role has been uncovered for a cell's own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell's RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are ...

Giant Virus Encodes Key Piece of Protein-Making Machinery of Cellular Life

Dec. 18, 2024 — Researchers recently discovered that a virus, FloV-SA2, encodes one of the proteins needed to make ribosomes, the central engines in all cells that translate genetic information into proteins, the ...

Flu Virus Remains Infectious in Refrigerated Raw Milk, Study Reveals

Dec. 13, 2024 — Influenza or flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milk for up to five days, according to a new study. The findings come at a time when outbreaks of bird flu -- a different subtype of the ...

Study Shows Drop in Use of Antiviral Medications in Young Children With Influenza

Dec. 17, 2024 — Despite national medical guidelines supporting the use of antiviral medications in young children diagnosed with influenza, a recent study reports an ...

Influenza Virus Genome: Finally Discovered in Its Coat

Dec. 16, 2024 — To fight the virus that causes influenza, one of the avenues being explored by scientists is the development of drugs capable of destabilizing its genome, made up of RNA molecules. But the challenge ...

Diverse Virus Populations Coexist on Single Strains of Gut Bacteria

Dec. 12, 2024 — A study offers evidence that a single bacterial species -- the host of the phage -- can maintain a diverse community of competing phage species. Knowing how more than one kind of virus can survive ...

A New Class of Antivirals Could Help Prevent Future Pandemics

Dec. 11, 2024 — Researchers discovered a vulnerability in viral enzymes that could lead to novel treatments for diseases as diverse as COVID-19 and Ebola -- while also minimizing side effects and reducing the odds ...

Updated Hep B Vaccine More Effective for People With HIV

Dec. 10, 2024 — A newer vaccine against hepatitis B virus was clearly superior to an older vaccine type in inducing a protective antibody response among people living with HIV who didn't respond to prior ...

New Gene Therapy Reverses Heart Failure in Large Animal Model

Dec. 10, 2024 — In a single IV injection, a gene therapy targeting cBIN1 can reverse the effects of heart failure and restore heart function in a large animal model. The therapy increases the amount of blood the ...

CAST Mouse Model: A Crucial Tool for Future COVID-19 Outbreaks

Dec. 6, 2024 — Researchers have identified the first mouse strain that is susceptible to severe COVID-19 without the need for genetic modification. This development marks a pivotal step forward in infectious ...

Single Mutation in H5N1 Influenza Surface Protein Could Enable Easier Human Infection

Dec. 6, 2024 — A single modification in the protein found on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in U.S. dairy cows could allow for easier ...

New Model for Replication of BKPyV Virus, a Major Cause of Kidney Transplant Failure

Dec. 6, 2024 — BK polyomavirus, or BKPyV, is a major cause of kidney transplant failure. There are no effective drugs to treat BKPyV. Research reveals new aspects of BKPyV replication, offering possible drug ...

Cleaning Surfaces Every Two Hours Cuts Norovirus Infections by 83 Percent in Airports, Study Finds

Dec. 5, 2024 — At airports, frequently disinfecting surfaces, mask-wearing and antimicrobial surface coatings can all help prevent the spread of norovirus, according to a new ...

Scientists Identify Mutation That Could Facilitate H5N1 'Bird Flu' Virus Infection and Potential Transmission in Humans

Dec. 5, 2024 — Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus? A recent study ...

Natural 'Biopesticide' Against Malaria Mosquitoes Successful in Early Field Tests

Dec. 4, 2024 — An experimental bacteria-derived biopesticide is highly effective in killing malaria-carrying mosquitoes, including those that have developed resistance to chemical pesticides, according to initial ...

The Viral Puzzle of Why Humans Are Susceptible to Hepatitis B Virus, but Monkeys Are Not

Dec. 3, 2024 — Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a narrow host range, mainly infecting hominoids. A new study reveals the structural differences in the liver cell receptor (NTCP) between humans and monkeys, explaining ...

How the Speed of Viral Spread Can Be Estimated by the Analysis of Genomic Sequences

Dec. 3, 2024 — Evaluating the speed at which viruses spread and transmit across host populations is critical to mitigating disease outbreaks. A new study evaluates the performance of statistics measuring how ...

Phosphorylation and Dephosphorylation Enzyme Groups Regulate Sleep and Wakefulness in Mammals

Dec. 3, 2024 — A research group has discovered that in mammals, a protein kinase A (PKA) promotes wakefulness, while protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and calcineurin promote sleep. This study revealed that the balance ...

Pregnancy Enhances Natural Immunity to Block Severe Flu

Dec. 2, 2024 — Scientists have discovered that pregnancy may trigger a natural immunity to boost protection against severe flu infection. Contrary to the common belief that pregnancy increases vulnerability to ...

Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Future of Tick Control

Nov. 27, 2024 — Scientists create potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ...

Wild Boars Could Be a Potential Source of Hepatitis E Transmission to Humans in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Nov. 26, 2024 — Over the last few decades, wild boar populations have increased in the urban areas of Barcelona and in other parts of Catalonia. This wild animal is an important reservoir of the hepatitis E virus. ...

New Era in Amphibian Biology

Nov. 26, 2024 — Amphibians hold a significant place in evolution, representing the transition from aquatic to terrestrial lifestyles. They are crucial for understanding the brain and spinal cord of tetrapods -- ...

Scientists Implicate a Novel Cellular Protein in Hepatitis A Infection

Nov. 21, 2024 — Scientists have long been trying to tease apart hepatitis A virus, to understand its inner workings and how it functions in the human body. Infectious disease researchers have discovered that a ...

Cigarette Smoke Alters Microbiota, Aggravates Flu Severity

Nov. 20, 2024 — A new study shows that cigarette-smoke induced changes to the microbiota resulted in increased severity of disease in mice infected with influenza A ...

HIV Latency Reversing Properties in African Plant

Nov. 19, 2024 — The Wistar Institute and the University of Buea in Cameroon has uncovered the mechanisms for a medicinal plant with anti-HIV potential in Croton oligandrus Pierre & Hutch, a species of African ...

Eradivir's EV25 Therapeutic Reduces Advanced-Stage Influenza Viral Loads Faster, More Thoroughly in Preclinical Studies Than Current Therapies

Nov. 19, 2024 — A research article shows that Eradivir's patent-pending antiviral therapeutic called EV25 reduces lung viral loads of advanced-stage influenza in preclinical studies quicker and more effectively ...

Researchers Use Biophysics to Design New Vaccines Against RSV and Related Respiratory Viruses

Nov. 19, 2024 — In most people, the lung-infecting pathogens known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) trigger mild cold-like symptoms. But in infants and seniors, these viruses can ...

When Hepatitis E Viruses Attack Nerve Cells

Nov. 18, 2024 — Hepatitis E viruses (HEV) typically cause liver infections. They can, however, also infect other organs and cause neurological disorders. Little is yet known about how this process works. A research ...

Optical Biosensor Rapidly Detects Mpox Virus

Nov. 14, 2024 — Researchers have developed an optical biosensor that detects the virus that causes mpox. The technology could make diagnosis much faster and cost-effective as the disease continues to spread ...