Virology News

Genetically speaking, it's a bacterium's worst-case scenario: During transcription, newly minted RNA sticks to its DNA template, forming a 3-stranded structure known as an R-loop. While these structures have some important roles to play in a cell, R-loops in the wrong place at the wrong time can be disastrous, leading to DNA breaks, mutations, and cell death.

A deadly bird flu outbreak has wreaked havoc on U.S. chicken farms, claiming the lives of over 20 million egg-laying chickens last quarter, marking the worst impact on America's egg supply since the outbreak began in 2022.

DNA sequencing was revolutionized after scientists discovered a new bacterium in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, and today it's a common research technique.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is known for causing microcephaly, a birth defect in which abnormal brain development results in a smaller-than-expected head.

Germany took further steps Monday to limit the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease, as an outbreak of the virus threatened to hit the country's agricultural exports.

An often-overlooked mechanism of gene regulation may be involved in the failure of antifungal drugs in the clinic, claims a German-Austrian research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI). Their study, published in Nucleic Acids Research, focused on the mold fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised people.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been associated with various hematological disorders. Understanding the pathology of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in coronavirus infection may provide insights into disease severity and progression.

Germany on Friday registered three cases of foot-and-mouth disease in water buffalo on a farm near Berlin, the country's first reported cases of the livestock disease since 1988.

Recent decades have seen growing attention on viruses in the environment and their potential impacts as a result of global epidemics. Due to the diversity of viral species along with the complexity of environmental and host factors, virus extraction and detection methods have become key for the...

The University of Cape Town, along with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have conducted a large-scale study identifying significant cranial shape differences between four genetically distinct giraffe species. The findings suggest that these species exhibit unique developmental and morphological characteristics, which have implications for conservation efforts.

What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to determine the percentage and duration of neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant in human milk after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, considering the three different vaccine technologies approved in Brazil.

The American Journal of Medicine and American Journal of Medicine Open present a joint special issue titled "Long COVID Mechanisms, Risk Factors, and Recovery: From Cells to Society." This issue contributes to the expanding field of long COVID research, a complex condition affecting millions globally. Persistent COVID-19 symptoms, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), impact multiple physiological systems—such as respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological—producing a diverse range of symptoms that can endure for months or even years.

Infectious disease doctors explain if hand sanitizer kills norovirus, and effective ways to neutralize the stomach bug’s germs, including on surfaces.

Researchers have identified a novel genetic risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing new insights into the virus's ability to invade human cells. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that spreads COVID-19.

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the development of efficient serological tests for monitoring the dynamics of the disease as well as the immune response after illness or vaccination was critical.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created nanostructured alumina surfaces which are strongly antibacterial but can be used to culture cells. They found that anodic porous alumina (APA) surfaces prepared using electrochemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid had unprecedented resistance to bacterial growth, but did not hamper cell cultures.

In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University, crucial insights have been gained regarding the mechanisms by which the Semliki Forest virus infiltrates the central nervous system.

Background and Objectives: People living with HIV/AIDS have been impacted notably by the COVID-19 pandemic in diverse dimensions. Although some impacts of COVID-19 on PLHIV have been well documented, there is still insufficient research that captures the overall understanding of the implications...

New findings from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative suggest that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may be associated with an increase in the number of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome...

Coronaviruses (CoV) infect a wide variety of hosts, causing epidemics in humans, birds, and mammals over the years. Bats (order Chiroptera) are one of the natural hosts of the Coronaviridae family. They represent 40% of the total number of mammal species in the Pantanal, a biodiversity hotspot in...

Both postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Long COVID are currently viewed as heterogeneous disorders with complex, multi-factorial and multi-systemic pathophysiology. POTS, one of the most common autonomic disorders, is a frequent sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background/Objectives: The endosomal escape of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) is crucial for efficient mRNA-based therapeutics. Here, we present a cationic polymeric micelle (cPM) as a safe and potent co-delivery system with enhanced endosomal escape capabilities.

Background: This study addresses a particular aspect of the biological behavior of the Spike subunit S1 of SARS-CoV-2. Researchers observed S1 acting freely in the human organism during and after COVID-19 and vaccination. One of its properties is that it interacts one-to-one with human proteins.

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown that people 60 years or older with weakened immunity -; primarily organ transplant recipients who take immunosuppressive medications to reduce the risk of rejection and others with immune system disorders -; do not respond as strongly to vaccines...