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The Dangers of Zoonotic Diseases

According to a recent study published in Nature, mice and ferrets infected in a high-containment laboratory setting died from a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus that was isolated from the eye of a farm worker who contracted the virus from contact with dairy cows.

29 Oct 2024

Understanding the Impact of Natural Flu Infections on Vaccine Effectiveness

Researchers from the University of Georgia discovered in a recent study supported by the National Institutes of Health that the effectiveness of upcoming influenza vaccinations is significantly influenced by the body's innate immunity from prior flu episodes.

1 Oct 2024

Study Reveals Immune Cells' Role in Lung Scarring After Viral Infections

Investigators involved in a multicenter study co-led by Cedars-Sinai discovered a pathway by which immune cells prevent the lungs' protective barrier from healing after viral infections like COVID-19.

5 Sep 2024

Climate Change Exacerbates Valley Fever Threat

A fungal disease called valley fever is on the rise in the western United States. It typically manifests as flu-like symptoms, but it can potentially have fatal or extremely serious side effects.

4 Sep 2024

Understanding the Molecular Basis of Avian Influenza Host Shift

A recent study by the Cusack group clarifies how a crucial enzyme of the avian influenza virus can change, enabling the virus to spread to mammals.

20 Aug 2024

Multispecies Transmission of Avian Flu Virus Includes Dairy Cattle, Cats, and Raccoons

A viral spillover of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus belonging to the hemagglutinin 5 neuraminidase 1 (H5N1) 2.3.4.4b clade among herds of dairy cattle.

5 Aug 2024

Dairy Cattle Become Hosts for Avian Flu Transmission

A new study reveals evidence that avian influenza has spilled over from birds to dairy cattle across several U.S. states, resulting in mammal-to-mammal transmission between cows and from cows to cats and a raccoon.

25 Jul 2024

Flu Virus Exploits Immune System Weakness to Infect Cells

The majority of influenza viruses enter animal or human cells through particular surface-based pathways. It has recently been found by researchers at the University of Zurich that some influenza viruses, both human and avian, can also enter cells through a second entry point that involves an immune system protein complex.

18 Jul 2024

Pasteurization Effectively Eliminates H5N1 Virus from Milk

In March 2024, dairy cows in Texas were found to be infected with highly pathogenic avian flu, or H5N1 bird flu, in the first known case of the virus spreading to cattle.

4 Jul 2024

Breakthrough RNA-Based Vaccine Strategy Offers Universal Protection

Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

16 Apr 2024

RNA Molecules Govern Battle Between Cholera Bacteria and Phages

Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure.

5 Apr 2024

Viruses Pose Unforeseen Threat to Native Desert Ecosystems

Just as many people battle seasonal colds and flu, native plants face their own viral threats. People have long known that plants can succumb to viruses just like humans.

29 Mar 2024

Genomic Study Warns of H5N1 Adaptation to Marine Mammals

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

29 Feb 2024

Researchers Isolate Adaptable Leptospirosis Strain in Austrian Cattle

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed infectious disease that affects both animals and humans. While the infection is endemic in tropical regions, its incidence seems to increase in temperate regions.

27 Feb 2024

Scientists Create "Immunologically Silent" DNA Vaccine for Potent Virus Defense

Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

31 Jan 2024

Glowing COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Prototype Produces Results in One Minute

Cold, flu and COVID-19 season brings that now-familiar ritual: swab, wait, look at the result. But what if, instead of taking 15 minutes or more, a test could quickly determine whether you have COVID-19 with a glowing chemical?

19 Jan 2024

Mucus Thickness Dictates Bacterial Behavior, Affecting Infection Potential

The telltale signs of cold and flu season—sniffles, snorts, and the sound of noses being blown—serve as indicators of increased mucus production.

6 Dec 2023

Gene-Edited Chickens in Fight Against Bird Flu

Scientists have used gene editing techniques to identify and change parts of chicken DNA that could limit the spread of the bird flu virus in the animals.

11 Oct 2023

Study Finds Diverse Set of Immune Cells Linked to Flu Protection

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists, in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) Limited, found that immune cells present in people months before influenza (flu) infection could more accurately predict if an individual would develop symptoms than current methods which primarily rely on antibody levels.

18 Aug 2023

Study Links Adenovirus Infection With a Rare Blood Clotting Disorder

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are specialized cellular fragments that form blood clots when we get scrapes and traumatic injuries. Viral infections, autoimmune disease, and other conditions can cause platelet levels to drop throughout the body, termed thrombocytopenia.

11 Aug 2023