http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/viruses/ Virology News. Read current research on the virus structure, specific viruses (H5N1 flu, West Nile virus, HIV and more) and responses. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:02 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/viruses/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091125134703.htm Scientists have discovered how the bacterial immune system works, and the finding could lead to new classes of targeted antibiotics, new tools to study gene function in microorganisms and more stable bacterial cultures used by food and biotechnology industries to make products such as yogurt and cheese. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091125134703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119085216.htm Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to new research. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119085216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141217.htm Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111410.htm A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, researchers have discovered. The findings may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143215.htm Researchers have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people. The study bucks the general belief that declining immune responses are to blame for susceptibility to viral infections. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101401.htm The regulating protein Srebp2 drives cholesterol formation, which prions need for their propagation, in prion-infected neuronal cells. Scientists anticipate new approaches in drug development to combat prion infection, as a result of these new findings Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165643.htm Researchers have found that previous influenza infections may provide at least some level of immunity to the H1N1 "swine" flu. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103413.htm The AIDS virus inserts its genetic material into the genome of the infected cell. Scientists have now shown for the first time that the virus almost entirely spares particular sites in the human genetic material in this process. This finding may be useful for developing new, specific AIDS drugs. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112121559.htm Structural biologists have described the architecture of the complex of protein units that make up the coat surrounding the HIV genome and identified in it a "seam" of functional importance that previously went unrecognized. Those findings could point the way to new treatments for blocking HIV infection. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112121559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065920.htm Human movement is a key factor of dengue virus inflow in Rio de Janeiro, according to results from researchers in Brazil. The results, based on data from a severe epidemic in 2007-2008, contribute to new understanding on the dynamics of dengue fever in the second largest city in Brazil. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151449.htm Using novel techniques, a Dutch researcher has cast new light on the replication of coronaviruses, a family of viruses including the cause of SARS. He has shown, using luminescent viruses, how coronaviruses use host cells and how we can use the intracellular processes to attack the virus. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160739.htm New anti-flu drugs could become a reality as a result of a new study. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm A chemical culprit responsible for the rapid, mysterious death of phytoplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean has been found. This same chemical may hold unexpected promise in cancer research. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141215.htm Each year, the influenza virus evolves. And each year, public health officials try to predict what the new strain will be and how it will affect the population in order to best combat it. A new study may make their task a little easier. The study breaks ground by working across scales and linking sub-molecular changes in the influenza virus to the likelihood of influenza outbreaks. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125048.htm Scientists report a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against two deadly viruses, Nipah virus and the related Hendra virus. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162024.htm Influenza viruses evade infection-fighting antibodies by constantly changing the shape of their major surface protein. Now, researchers have proposed a new explanation for the evolutionary forces that drive antigenic drift. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm As the nation copes with a shortage of vaccines for H1N1 influenza, a team of Alabama researchers have raised hopes that they have found an Achilles' heel for all strains of the flu -- antioxidants. In a new study, they show that antioxidants -- the same substances found in plant-based foods -- might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on our lungs. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132426.htm An experimental drug cocktail that includes three prescriptions now widely available offers the best hope in developing a single agent to treat drug-resistant H1N1 swine flu, says a virology researcher. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152938.htm Genetically modified squash plants that are resistant to a debilitating viral disease become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, according to biologists. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211640.htm Researchers have uncovered what they believe could be the major factor contributing to the SARS virus' virulence: the pathogen's use of a single viral protein to weaken host cell defenses by launching a "two-pronged" attack on cellular protein-synthesis machinery. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161536.htm In a new study the evolutionary history of more than 10,000 sequences from more than 400 HIV-infected individuals was compared. The idea is to identify common features of the transmitted virus, and attempt to create a vaccine that enables recognition the original transmitted virus before the body's immune response causes the virus to react and mutate. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026180207.htm In hopes of preventing the next global pandemic and a possible death toll into the millions, researchers have launched an unprecedented international effort to find and control diseases that move between wildlife and people. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026180207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm Scientists have identified the dominant odor naturally produced in humans and birds that attracts the blood-feeding Culex mosquitoes, which transmits West Nile virus and other life-threatening diseases. The groundbreaking research explains why mosquitoes shifted hosts from birds to humans and paves the way for key developments in mosquito and disease control. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021212245.htm In the course of doing research on the mosquito-borne pathogens chikungunya virus and o' nyong-nyong virus, researchers have discovered an inconvenient truth about an assay, strand-specific quantitative real-time PCR (ssqPCR), increasingly being used to detect and measure replicating viral RNA in infected cells and tissues. The method most labs are using for ssqPCR is unreliable. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021212245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805150524.htm Predicting the infection patterns of influenzas requires tracking both the ecology and the evolution of the fast-morphing viruses that cause them, said a researcher who enlists computers to model such changes. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805150524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015171457.htm An international research team has demonstrated that treating HIV-AIDS with interleukin-2 is ineffective. As a result, the researchers recommend that clinical trials on this compound be stopped. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015171457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151320.htm The virus Cervid Herpesvirus 2 has now for the first time been isolated in Norway. Studies demonstrate it is involved in an ocular disease in reindeer and may also have abortogenic potential. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can be found all over the circumpolar arctic regions with a total number of animals of more than five million. In Norway there were more than 240.000 animals in 2007, of which more than 70% inhabit the county of Finnmark (northern most region of mainland Norway), where reindeer herding continues to represent an important economical and cultural activity for the local indigenous communities. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014181433.htm Tracking and understanding the patterns of H1N1's spread is crucial to keeping a big-picture look at the disease. Says one expert, "Back in 1918 and 1919 when we had the great flu epidemic, it took six months or more to spread across the world. The new H1N1 swine flu spread across the world in six weeks." Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014181433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091609.htm Scientists have taken a fresh look at cowpox. Their findings demonstrate that this ancient pathogen still has much to teach us, and may hasten development of novel vaccines against smallpox and other pox-like diseases. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091600.htm Veterinary scientists have made a discovery that promises to deliver a new approach to fast development of cheap vaccines that are effective in all mammals -- not just humans or another particular species. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001110552.htm A search through decades-old frozen infant stool samples has yielded rich dividends for scientists. They have customized a laboratory technique to screen thousands of samples for norovirus, a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in people of all ages. What they discovered about the rate of evolution of a specific group of noroviruses could help researchers develop specific antiviral drugs and, potentially, a vaccine against a disease that is very unpleasant and sometimes deadly. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001110552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081627.htm Avian influenza (H5N1), rabies, plague, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), and more recently swine flu (H1N1) are all examples of diseases that have made the leap from animals to humans. As the list continues to grow, experts in the UK are to lead a project aimed at developing a state-of-the-art pan-European surveillance system to monitor emerging and re-emerging infections in wildlife. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916103426.htm In order to be able to ward off disease pathogens, immune cells must be mobile and be able to establish contact with each other. Scientists have discovered a mechanism in an animal model revealing how HIV, the AIDS pathogen, cripples immune cells: Cell mobility is inhibited by the HIV Nef protein. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916103426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927145354.htm The retroviruses which gave rise to HIV have been battling it out with mammal immune systems since mammals first evolved around 100 million years ago -- about 85 million years earlier than previously thought, scientists now believe. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927145354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101238.htm New research highlights how daily commuting patterns in mega-cities may be a critically overlooked factor in understanding the resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, infecting 50-100 million people annually. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918110302.htm With estimates that half the population of the United States could be infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus this fall and winter, a new study examines four flu exposure pathways and quantifies the risk posed by each pathway, which, the analysis found, varies based on changes in viral concentrations. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918110302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830100003.htm Scientists are investigating the chemical makeup of a mosquito- and ant-repellent essential oil from a native Samoan plant. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830100003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918181532.htm A person, usually a child, dies of rabies every 20 minutes. However, only one inoculation may be all it takes for rabies vaccination, according to new research. Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918181532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090919095145.htm A study of how HIV mutates in response to immune system pressure shows that the virus can take several escape routes, not one preferred route. Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090919095145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174457.htm Researchers are looking at a way to genetically modify soybeans to prevent damage from aphids. If successful, soybeans will carry in-plant protection from aphids, similar to the way genetically modified corn now keeps the European Corn Borer from destroying corn yields. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111535.htm Over the last 40 years, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been repeatedly associated with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Researchers offer new data that further support the link. In the brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis her team found abnormal accumulation of EBV infected B lymphocytes. Similar findings were made in the pathological tissues of patients with other autoimmune diseases. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111305.htm The number and diversity of male partners a queen honeybee has could help to protect her children from disease, say scientists, who are investigating possible causes of the widespread increase in bee deaths seen around the world. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909103009.htm Scientists have discovered that roots of a plant used a century ago during the great Spanish influenza pandemic contains substances with powerful effects in laboratory experiments in killing the H1N1 swine flu virus that now threatens the world. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909103009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165251.htm Watermelon vine decline is a new and emerging disease that has created devastating economic losses for watermelon producers in Florida. Caused by the whitefly-transmitted squash vein yellowing virus, the disease created monetary losses estimated at $60 to $70 million in Florida during the 2004 growing season. Responding to producers' concerns, scientists recently identified the cause of WVD and are seeking ways to control the plague. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807091024.htm The three treatment combinations for clearing the most common form of the hepatitis C virus work equally well with similar side effects, researchers have found. Hepatitis C affects nearly 4 million Americans and leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer but can be arrested permanently in many patients. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807091024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165059.htm Using a finding that the genetic complexity of tumors in mice parallels that in humans, researchers are starting trial studies in mice, just like human clinical trials, to evaluate whether understanding tumor diversity can improve cancer treatment. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163717.htm Scientists have deciphered a key molecular circuit that enables the body to distinguish viruses from bacteria and other microbes, providing a deep view of how immune cells in mammals fend off different pathogens. The new research signifies one of the first large-scale reconstructions of a mammalian circuit and offers a practical approach for unraveling the circuits that underpin other important biological systems. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130049.htm Viruses have numerous tricks for dodging the immune system. New research reveals a key detail in one of these stratagems, identifying a protein that enables cytomegalovirus to shut down an antiviral defense. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130049.htm