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Study identifies genetic risk for hyperinflammatory disorder from viral infection

Study identifies genetic risk for hyperinflammatory disorder from viral infection

A group of people with fatal H1N1 flu died after their viral infections triggered a deadly hyperinflammatory disorder in susceptible individuals with gene mutations linked to the overactive immune response, according to a study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and Children’s […]

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Study reveals new, potent way to boost immunity and fight viruses

Study reveals new, potent way to boost immunity and fight viruses

Findings aid antiviral drug discovery Many viral infections, such as the common cold, cause mild illnesses that the body’s immune system eventually defeats. But when viruses cause severe disease, doctors have few options for effective treatment. Studying mice with a variety of viral infections, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have […]

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Key studies from Nottingham central to major flu drug report

Key studies from Nottingham central to major flu drug report

A major new national report into the use of antiviral drugs (neuraminidase inhibitors) to treat and prevent influenza has drawn heavily on two pieces of research undertaken at The University of Nottingham. The landmark report, published by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Wellcome Trust, concludes that anti-viral drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) were […]

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Role of breast cell infection in flu transmission between mothers and breast-feeding ferrets

Role of breast cell infection in flu transmission between mothers and breast-feeding ferrets

Influenza is known as an infectious respiratory disease, but a study published on October 8th in PLOS Pathogens suggests that infected cells in breast tissues could play a role in virus transmission from mothers to breast-feeding infants and vice versa using a ferret model. Alyson Kelvin, from the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, and colleagues […]

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Latest technology could help curb repeat Ebola crisis, experts say

Latest technology could help curb repeat Ebola crisis, experts say

Recent developments in surveillance technology could enable a swifter, more effective response to potentially deadly outbreaks of disease, a study has found. The Ebola crisis has highlighted a need to bolster global surveillance and enhance the capability to react appropriately to further outbreaks, experts say. This should include making use of modern technologies for detecting […]

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Rapidly assessing the next influenza pandemic

Rapidly assessing the next influenza pandemic

Influenza pandemics are potentially the most serious natural catastrophes that affect the human population. New findings published in PLOS Computational Biology suggest that with both timely and accurate data and sophisticated numerical models, the likely impact of a new pandemic can be assessed quickly, and key decisions made about potential mitigation strategies. Novel strains of […]

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Hepatitis A-like virus identified in seals

Hepatitis A-like virus identified in seals

Scientists in the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health have discovered a new virus in seals that is the closest known relative of the human hepatitis A virus. The finding provides new clues on the emergence of hepatitis A. The research appears in the July/August issue of mBio, […]

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Study backs flu vaccinations for elderly

Study backs flu vaccinations for elderly

A new study of the records of millions of nursing home residents affirms the value of influenza vaccination among the elderly. The Brown University analysis found that between 2000 and 2009, the better matched the vaccine was for the influenza strain going around, the fewer nursing home residents died or were hospitalized. Although flu vaccination […]

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School vacations and humidity linked to multiple waves of influenza in Mexico during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

School vacations and humidity linked to multiple waves of influenza in Mexico during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

Scientists studying the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic have found that the inconsistent regional timing of pandemic waves in Mexico was the result of interactions between school breaks and regional variations in humidity. The research published in PLOS Computational Biology, led by Dr. James Tamerius at the University of Iowa and Dr. Gerardo Chowell at Georgia […]